Jilin Tigers

February 17, 2008...I'm on our "hometurf" now, having arrived on Thursday night from Beijing...Jet Lag? Hmm, listen to this schedule: Friday afternoon went to Bellevue Community College and took in the Skyline HS vs. Issaquah HS game...Issaquah won going away, but not without having to overcome a double digit effort...then visited Seattle to see my close friend, Dave B., and politely excuse myself as "another" game beckoned my desire to watch another student of mine perform...This time it was Kentwood vs. Kentridge, with the latter winning handily...The young fella who I was observing was Josh Smith, Jr...Joshua has been a student of mine now going on 4 Springs and Summers...he is a gifted, patient student of the game, and has many many more competitions ahead of him...Then on Saturday morning, Coach Ernie Woods and myself took in a 5th Grade Boys basketball game at Canyon Park Junior High in Bothell, watching a very young and talented basketball aspirant by the name of Sean Perry, whose Papa is Guy, and the youth coach of Sean's team...It was a fun game to watch, as one team's mistakes lead to another's treasure and the disappointment to many parents in the stands...YIKES!!...and then as IF I didn't have enough American hoops to absorb, I attended the Northwest University vs. College of Idaho game...There are two players on NU's team whom I have helped over the last couple of years, and I wanted to see them while their season was still underway...NU won by 20...David Rengo and Greg Peters, the two players I know, came off the bench and contributed solid defense and timely baskets when the opportunity presented itself...It was so much fun to watch this level of competition, as the players compete just as hard as any D-1 player; shoot with accuracy like D-1 players, the only thing lacking may be that there aren't ENOUGH D-1 schools for players today...Greg hails from St. Vincent Grenadine, and is not afraid of competition "indoors" , considering he's only played outdoors all these years...

The date has now fast forwarded to February 26, 2008...I am sitting in a Starshucks "thinking" that I'll be able to "hookup" free and go WiFi...UNTIL, Howard-baby is now providing a "pillow" from T-Mobile to his bed and, of course, somebody has to pay for it: US!! So, after being able to on occasion, WiFi in China FREE at most Starshucks, I now have to "sign up" and pay which collectively and figuratively means another FREAKN Password!!!!....Does anybody out there get tired of the same ol schtick that keeps pressing us daily when we "want" something on an interactive basis? I mean at what point does Bill G. and Steve decide to tell their R & D Boyz to "come up with a simple voice activator that a "User" can identify him/her self with their favorite song...I'll give you an example: I'm in Cali and need to go WiFi and the prompt comes up "Sign In with Password"...And of course, I start singin the Beach Boys "I get around...round round round round round r o u n d...I get around..."...Then my IE illuminates my screen, I'm "on" and life is good...Or, I go to New York and same thing applies there in Grand Central Station...The prompt comes on, I go ahead and start belting out, Frankie Blue Eyes fav jingle: "New Yahwk New Yahk...", and all is good...Or, I go to Hawaii and belt out, Don Ho's Island Classic: "Tiny Booobles..."...Do you agree with me, how wonderfully simple that could and WOULD BE?? I mean NO ONE on this planet sings as BAD as I do, therefore my datavoice would either work or CRASH if someone TRIED to impersonate me signing on...Just had to revisit that issue again...I find myself digressing, regressing and depressing sometimes when it comes to the technology and convenience issues today when I blog and/or signon with memorybanks, fingerstrokes and other means for being "wired"...

Okay, spent 4 wonderful days with our Grandson, Carter, who is all of two-and-a-half-plus now and his favorite word is "NO"...We learn the words "Listen...and...YES" while I was there...Ashleigh and Brian, mom and dad, respectively, are doing a marvelous job of raising their babyboy today...I had so much fun with them...One day we went bowling and Carter got a Strike to my none and his Daddy was like *** Webber, makin contact with pins like he's ready for the "Pro Circuit"...I've never been much of a bowler, more of a "bawler" in my early years, as I didn't have much pain threshold for failing to keep the ball out of the gutter...I was so bad as a kid, I thought a great way to keep score for numbskillz like me in bowling, would be to count the NUMBER of pins that still stand AFTER you hit the gutter and come out onto the lane again...Let's put it this way, most of the bowling balls I used back in the day, were "retired" early and probably have been recycled as anchors for small boats...Anyway, that afternoon was totally fun...The next day, Carter wanted to take me to the Zoo and let the Monkees look at me and see how I reacted to them...So we went to the Portland Zoo, and I gotta tell you, it's really a nice, well thought-out venue for people to "view" endangered and captive species from our planet...Carter had a blast, his Daddy, Brian, had a blast and I was in awe of the whole experience...the only downer being the captive Eagle in a net enclosure, which I am hoping the only REASON this great bird is there, is because it is recovering health-wise before taking off for the wild blue yonder, otherwise, I'm bummed over looking at that exhibit...Next we saw a Sumatra Tiger pen...The Tiger was kickin back, BUT checkin us out closely, and I reminded Brian Captive Tigers today are not really happy "campers" as evidenced by the Tiger escapes in SF and now Hawaii...So, here we are thinking like the Tiger on the OUTSIDE "how" would this Tiger decide to leave on a moment's notice...It wouldn't be that difficult as this lil puttytat could leap a building on a single bound, and with that we moved on...It was a great visit to the Portland Zoo, and again, I highly recommend it to any and all...I also was fortunate to visit my dear friends, Lee Larson and Jim Dail from Clackamas, Oregon...The two of them together, coupled with me, makes us the 3 Amigos (hold the "salt"), and we had some great laughs about my experiences in China...It's been a wonderful reentry, Folks, one that has basketball friends, parents, kids and coaches touching base with me and welcoming me back and also for me to see LIVE high school playoffs action again, especially at this time year...I was really excited to see two young students of mine named to the SeaTimes HS All Star Team...Josh Smith, 6'10" (with his shoes on...last time I looked, that's what kids play with on the court...) and Lindsey Moore, 5'10" -/+...both are from Kentwood High School...Josh is a Post Player, sophomore, and comes from a wonderful Family...his lil Bro, J-Mon (Jeremy), is an 8th Grader who is a talent in his own right as well...Josh has been a part of our weekend group now going on 5 Springs/Summers now, and I can't tell you how much fun it's been to watch him grow as young man and Team Player...This young fella "gets it"...His Parents are truly "models to follow" when it comes to the balance between books and sports...Their philosophy is simple: "eat the food on your plate and you get dessert...", in other words: "learn in class, study and DO your homework and you'll get to PLAY sports..."...NOW THAT is a REFRESHING perspective isn't it? Lindsey will be attending the 3 Spring/Summer program with us this year, having been introduced to me by Coach Barbara Berry...Barbara is the Director of "The Way to WIn...", and has a wonderful teaching skills program that complements each of her players' developing skills as Team Players...Lindsey has a "motor" for the game, no question...she competes at a high level, won't back down to anybody and is NOT afraid to make mistakes, take a critical shot with confidence and ultimately make her teammates better with a pass, screen or help on defense...She too has two wonderful parents who are also terrific support models for Lindsey and her teammates...I am blessed by their successes on and off the court, and know that the other kids I've worked with over the years have evolved in a positive, mature way towards improving their leadership and life skills on and off the court, and having a better understanding of the "purpose" of the game overall...

Okay, I'm back in the NW again, jet lag over, I think, although I still have afternoon yawnings that coincide with when I would be going to sleep in China...I've never been into power naps, per se, only on tarmacs and long train rides in the mid afternoons, but I'm beginning to think that it may not be a bad "add-on" to my daily schedule...better than "nodding off" at 60 MPH on I-90 somewhere...I gotta run, have a VIM (very important meeting), that I hope will be shared with y'all before too long...Been workin on this for awhile now, and know that you will be happy to read the progress and advance notice of this "NEWell" event...

To those students and other players whose sportslife I haven't had the opportunity to bless and share the game with, I hope you enjoyed the "moment" of your season past, and if you are so fortunate to continue towards "State", that you have a wonderful experience and more importantly, SEIZE the MOMENT in your young life to grasp the essence of being on your team and sharing in the emotions and anxieties of warmups, playing, sitting and competing for a Championship...I've always believed that any team at any level that EVER makes the "tournament" in anything should always be considered a "Finalist" and to hold one's head high for the "Kodak moment" that no one can ever take away from them: the experience...All the best, God Bless...Coach tom My next blogit will address the frustrations of accepting "your" coach as your son/daughter's leader today...Definitely a subject we ALL need to revisit and learn from...tn

February 3, 2008...somewhere between China, Japan and Russia...sitting close to the window seat and don't see any Migs or F-116's flying along, so I guess we're in a "free" flyzone...Okay, I gotta get something off my chest: Passwords...This blogit is for anyone over the age of 50 who "suffers" the same freakn embarrassment of using a website and not remembering your passwords...Now, I am of the generation, whose "generator" is still operating at a steady pace, mind you, that was introduced to the novel Apple Performa 756 I believe, a relic of sorts today, I'm sure, and after never taking an IT class to familiarize myself with the Mac-OS and other "loadins", I experienced my first "Choose a Password" direction, NOT instruction, direction...Well, at first that seemed harmless and actually quite convenient until Apple and I aged together, albeit, me with less hair and meals not missed, and Apple off on to new wellsprings of technology R&D...Ever notice the difference today between the sleek "Apps" and my non "Abbs"?...Yeah, that's why I never bought an Apple again...it hurt to much too see how handsome it had become and how "leathered" my looks became over the last 12 years...Vain you say?...Shucks no, I just don't turn the light on when I blow dry my hair...!!! Okay, back to the "theme" here, as I have a tendency to write like a Hawaiian Helicopter pilot trying to find the perfect "shot" for your experience on Maui, and he rolls left to right better than any Disney ride today, so I'm sitting in the Incheon Airport in Korea this morning, awaiting departure to Vladivstok, Russia, and find a "Wi-Fi" location in my nearby gate area...Glory, say to myself, this is going to be fun, I can check out the SuperBawl and see how the Pats and Gints are doing...(I use to live in New Joisey, just across the Hudson when I was coaching with the Nets '90-'92)...But before I know it, I have to PAY for access to the "AirLan" wireless system in order to go online...So I pay at the counter for a card, almost $5 and I'm not sure about how much "time" I've purchased, as I just wanted to go online and see the update on game...It was here that my quest for access went awry...Not only did I NOT get access, but until I "signed" in and gave a "Password", I would not be granted access...Now I'm getting about as brown as a milktoast broiled...I click everything "yes", until I come to the area of "Create New Password"...and it was here that I began to suffer "malaches" unknown to the generations below 50 today...I say to myself: "not another freakn password...and all the mundane questions and answers 'in case' I forget' my password...Now I have a dilemma: do I take the time to "use" this card this moment for the purpose of catching any information on the Super Bowl, or do I just take my card back to the counter and ask for refund and be done with messin with this program...I held out and chose to seek "New Signin Password", and here is where my story begins and ends (but not really if you know me...)...

As I began to fill out the questions and impatiently mistype all over the place, I stopped and had an epiphany of sorts: Passwords: the first signs of being old and realizing the loss of memory...Whoever the neurologist or whateverologist that came up with the scientific term: Memory Bank, was not over 50, let alone 40, as he or she did NOT know what we now know as "t-r-o-u-b-l-e", making a password that NO BODY can remember for "security reasons", including yourself...For once, I would just like to praised for REMEMBERING my Password and not being criticized for "forgetting" where I left something (Boxes, keys, wallet, passport, hat, gloves, tissues, you know the drill)...I mean when WE forget our Password and then the series of questions arise about "who you REALLY are..." well, it's then that I realize I'm a "Peking Duck"...no questions...I just want to get to the link that I signed up on two, three months ago...leave me alone already with all the freakin questions, please...!! I mean, from Expedia to CSTV to United Airlines to GoHuskies.com to aol.com to Yahoo.com to MSN online.com...to and to and to...help me Rhonda, help help help help me pullllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze!!

Then, on top of FINALLY answering CORRECT the "secret" questions so someone who has a hard time remembering where he is in the middle of the night "bladder call", I don't get any feedback from answering it correctly...no "Great Job, Old Man...waytogo, young fella...You're right! You DID get the right answer after 10 mins...OR...Congratulations, you have just successfully accessed your link...we're so happy that you finally remembered who you were, are and hopefully will become..."...I mean really, isn't there anyone out there, male or female, my generation or a couple of floors lower, that agree with me on "Passwords" today and the imposition it requires to function as an Interactive adult? or Youth or Octogenarian, looking ahead here...So, here's a shoutout to Biil G and Steve B: how about "thinking" ahead to YOUR future years online and come up with a simple "access" passALLthewords so we can function without stress after the traffic jams we engage in our lives weekly...Peace...I'm outta here...more later...

January 4, 2008...Sunset on the frozen bay of Valdivostok, Russia from a truly picture perfect window in my hotel room...

It's cold, but NOT that cold compared to Changchun, aka Coldchun, China...maybe 25degrees, no wind or breeze, unless you're waiting to cross the street and the whirlwind of a passing car hits your face, and then you remember "cold" as it once was 2 weeks ago in Changchun...

I arrived in Vladivostok from Seoul, Korea about 2pm today...I was met by a Non-Government Official by the name of Demitreyev Motolivov, who goes by "Dima", and is working with our State Department on this event and other events that our State Department asks him for help with, either by translation or planning...He has a Driver, whose name would begin here: and end here...so I nicknamed him Igor...he doesn't say much, but his eyes tell a myriad of stories and experiences that he has learned over his 40+ years in Vladivostok...He handles his Mitsubishi 4WD like it's a VW bug as he wound thru traffic as if he were blind and knew what the other driver would do before he would turn, pass or stop...Let me get back to the Hotel Vladivostok...If you were to go back to earlier blogits, you would find my "story" on Vladivostok very interesting, as we were here in the early part of October for an International Tournament, if you remember...Back then, I mentioned the first hotel we stayed as a team and how it smelled of smoke, like there must have been a fire or something, only to find out later there was, one floor below us, the week before, and every one of the players' rooms smelled like the fallout of a serious fire had taken place not long ago...Well, the lobby is repainted, they've added a Business Center and the Rule: No Smoking in the lobby...and you could immediately tell that there was something "fresh" about this return already to Hotel Vladivostok...until...I get to my room...I'm on the 9th floor, and as I stated earlier you couldn't ask for a better view of the Bay and looking upon the frozen ocean, dotted by brave ice fishermen, who fish near one another or within "save me please, the ice broke" distance...this was the same Bay where Windsurfers braved the cool winds in their wetsuits to soar and land continuously before Sunset back in October...The trees are skeletons of dark bark and branches, nothing here is green life, save the automobiles that have that color when driving in town...My room: when I opened the door and got hit by the waif of some stench only familiar to a stockyard cowboy, I felt like Michael J Fox in a short version of Back to the Future...Wheeeeeeeeew, that strong...But, I am not complaining as I appreciate every effort on the Russian side and our side to make this epic event happen...Just to make sure that the 'methane particles' I sense are in the air, I choose not to take anything out of my suitcase and hang, although I did have to take my suit out and put in the closet, which is okay, because I have a plastic cover over it...just when I thought I wanted to complain or whatever, I just looked out my window and relished with good spirit/feeling of "what a view...what a view" and forgot quickly any other malodorous distaste for where I was going to stay for the next 9 days...

Viktor Euopvov, Public Relations Manager, Translator for Team Spartak, Russian Premiere League, came to the hotel to visit me around 5pm, today, and boy is he really "feelin" the pressure of being the Translator for his team...Evidently, the team has not paid its players in almost two months, and the two foreigners in one month...They've just returned from an uneventful trip to Moscow, playing 3 teams on the road there and like my previous team, Jilin Northeast Tigers, could not eke out a "W" in any of the three contests...which doesn't help the management come to terms with the players now...Poor Viktor, he looked like someone who accidentally fell into a oversized Dryer/Tumbler and no one found him for a month until now...I knew I just had to make "his day" and help disarm the "ill" that he felt at this time with his current situation...For the life of me, I've never understood how "professional" teams and their management group think that they can withhold any team members salary, coaches included, yet I hear this every year and have heard it for the last 36 years, and have been victimized by that disrespect also, both as a player in Belgium and also as a Head Coach in Greece and Japan...This I will say about Mr. Qu, the Jilin Tigers owner, he was always fair and on time with all salaries to players...give or take a week to ten days, but did 'honor' each team member and coaches contract...There were however, other CBA teams, whose owners "failed" to meet their financial obligations to the Chinese players, but always paid the Americans...bad balance there, I'm afraid, because the Chinese players make a quarter of what the Foreigners do, and when you "honor" some and not all on a team, baaaaaaaad things happen...Such is the case right now with Team Spartak, I'm afraid...I didn't press Viktor for details but told him I would like to take he and his wife out to dinner tomorrow night and get away from his "stress mess", and I won't take 'no' for an answer...He looked at me and smiled and laughed and said my "wife would love for me to be able to do that sometime..."...He too had not been paid in a month, but didn't want to dwell on that aspect...Tonight was a "big management" meeting with coaches, players and support staff, meaning that Viktor must translate what is going to be said regarding contracts and payments for the rest of the season...He's worried that the two Foreigners will leave, one being JR Bremer, former Ohio State player of years ago, and a pretty good one at that...Evidently they needed to get at least one victory on this last road trip in order to make the Playoffs and now it's almost impossible for them to join the Top Eight...I'm hoping to see Coach Sergei Babov, Head Coach of Team Spartak, and hear how he's doing through all of this...He and his Assistant Coach, Michalev, were very kind and open to me as a colleague when our team was in their tournament...I'm hoping that I can bring some little joy to Viktor and his wife tomorrow night...He has been painstakingly trying to translate my "handout" materials for the coaches, and I told him not to, but he wanted to be sure that the coaches understood everything that I was teaching and demonstrating this week...What a guy!!

Okay, I'm here, fired up to get back on the court and ready for Russian Bear!! Will let you know how tomorrow night goes with Viktor and his wife...I'm thinkin a nice restaurant with a bottle of Red Wine for the occasion...I gotta do something for this gentle man who put so much time and best effort into the planning and coordinating of this event...

By the way...I didn't "lose" a box or a suitcase on this trip...Glory!! Best to all, safe travels, Coach tom

February 2, 2008...Beijing...Sunny...cold...but colder on the Great Wall like you wouldn't believe...Anyone who is a Tall Mountain Climber, well, hats off to you, briefly, as the experience I had today was one I won't soon forget...depending on how quickly my "not-so-smart" cells continue to defrost...When I left the RedWall Hotel (my hotel in Beijing) this morning, I felt pretty good overall, considering I was squinting from the sunshine at the entrance of the hotel..,plus, the chill factor was probably a reasonable 40 maybe, tolerable for sure, but nothing compared to the neuro-sensory assault on my "sometimes" nervous system...Remember how I described living in Coldchun, Northeast China for the last several months? And how the cold had no respect for articles of cover, leather or fur when it made your chilly acquaintance? Guess what? The Wall, yes The Great Wall, introduced me not only to its historical impressions, but a reminder that many thousands upon hundred of thousands citizens built by hand this truly incredible Wonder of the World, and it took over 2,000 years and covers over 4,000 miles throughout China...Ponder THAT "teamwork and commitment", coupled with the the thought that these workers were not only commissioned, supervised and honored for their service, they all had to experience what I did JUST WALKING upon the hand-carved stone steps: Frrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeze...I was accompanied by, Aaron, the Asst. Manager of the RedWall Hotel, who was my "Chief" inspector/detective when I lost my "BOX" upon arrival here 10 days ago...which has since been FOUND...back to the Wall...We chose the 2nd Exit, Badaling for our "freeze point entry"...now, I know we have the Space Needle and I-5 Corridor that runs from border to border, which is a remarkable passage in its own right, until you hit 'rush hour' traffic, and then the curses rain down from on High about the idiot who "designed this highway anyway...?"...But to look right to left and watch this serpentine structure, snake up and down hills and mountains, whoa Nellie, it IS a Wonder of the World...Keep holding my thoughts here, please, as I am still defrosting and reflecting...and it is cold, by Coldchun standards, yet, I think since the sun's out, "no problemos, I CAN handle this (warm blooded thinking for sure from a person who has NO HAIR on top)..."...UNTIL I make a decision with Aaron to "let's turn right, since we'll be walking into the sunlight and maybe stay warmer..."...Wrong Turn!!...As we made our way up the steps from the Visitor center, and me with my turtleneck, down coat. jeans and casual cross trainers (shoes), the only thing that was more important to me at this moment was the fact that I wore my infamous Coaches Who Care, Intl., hat, that at least kept a smile 'isle' of follicles insulated, or so I thought as we made our way towards a lookout point on the Wall...Now try to imagine this: about a 45degree angle upwalk, into the sun BUT more difficult wind coming from the South and hitting us face on...Anyone who knows anything about climbing, knows that at 45degree upwalk, you're NOT walking flatfooted, you're basically putting all the weight on your insteps and Achilles heels, so much so, I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND ANY MALE OVER 40 to EVER walk up a steep incline such as this without FIRST, stretching both Achilles', calves, hammies and lower back...otherwise you will have the following issues when you awaken the next morning: "What the hell "hit" ME in the middle of the night...Holy Molee, my achy-breakee=backee=...whooosh, wow, why are my Achilles a-killin me right now?...oooh, my hammies haven't felt like this since pre season practices in college over 40 years ago...where's Dr. Bob Greczanik when I need him NOW (Sports Acupuncturist in Bellevue>The BEST!!)!!

So to summarize because it is already Tuesday and I need to post this, I did defrost 45 minutes later, the headache, backache and hammies (quads were fine) were sore for two days and I feel "new" hairs growing on top...

January 30, 2008...Wednesday afternoon...about 45 degrees, sun out in Beijing...what I'm about to share with now, is what is called "losin it..."...

The Box returns...err...is found...err...HAS BEEN HERE ALL THIS FREAKIN TIME!! This morning, early, I was turning over and over again my thoughts and the dialogues of all the people involved in my packing, loading, unloading and droppoffs, trying to resolve in my mind that "it's gotta be somewhere in this country...help me, Lord...", and to His credit, He listened to ol tommy boy here in Beijing and gave a him a thought: "Ah, my son, have you considered that perhaps your BOX is in your midst? And that all the evil things you thought and said under your breath in tongues I have never spoken before myself, you may have the BOX before you...? Have you considered THAT notion, son?"...Aw, c'mon Lord, I'm NOT THAT "far gone" to even THINK that it is here, in this small room, and I haven't even considered THAT OPTION...Now, paranoia awakens, like a Stephen King novel 20 pages in and I'm looking at the 5 boxes on both sides of the bed...3 are from The Larson Legacy...one is from my room that I packed along with the missing BROWN BOX, right?...then I'm looking at a USPS Express Mail Box, White, that I don't remember Lee Larson sending me...hmmm, who sent this to me...and I look at the still-intact attached label, and it says "Sender: Chris Newell"...NO, it didn't say that....I walk away, come back, pick it up, put it down, walk away again and start shaking my head to make sure ALL THE MARBLES ARE IN PLACE when I open this box up to be humbled for ALL TIME...I rip the yards of tape that wrapped around it, as well as the straps that I had put on the box because it was NOT SECURE when I went to check in a week ago at the Changchun Airport...slowly I am beginning to see "pain, suffering, and inflammation of a sore neck from shaking one's head" syndrome, usually associated with an American basketball coach in Beijing, China who has been in the Northeastern part of China, having had his neurosensors FROZEN for quite some time now...HOLY SWEET OBAMA!!!

Yes, indeedy, there it was, EVERYTHING THAT I THOUGHT WAS on the streets somewhere trying to make someone happy...but no, the BOX is HERE...Glory...so for those of you who lit a candle, toasted my BOX and its whereabouts, and/or just said "newell's losin it...", thank you, thank you, thank you, I received ALL of your wishes and appreciate the empathy you felt for my BOX...And to think, last night I finally succumbed to "losing it forever" and went out and bought replacement cords for the tech stuff I have...laptop, portable DVD player, monitor...It only cost me about $50 bucks for replacement, and met some fans of the CBA and had fun talking about the league and all, BUT, THIS, here in MY ROOM...I shoulda had the Beach Boys song on all this time: "In my roooooooooooommmmmhhhmmmm", something would have been turned my switch on and saved me this embarrassing moment in my Chinese experience...Now I gotta go downstairs and 'fess up to the Bellman, David and his Boss Aaron, Asst. Mgr., GREAT GUY, has helped me so much, Wi, Asst. to the Asst. Mgr. and then walk around with a cardboard sign hangin from my neck: "My Name is "Not-so-smart"...If I look lost...I am..."

Okay, enough self deprecation here, and on to glorious future moments in my life...Tomorrow I visit The GREAT WALL...wow, can you believe it? I am so excited about seeing this...I remember a long long time ago, reading...errr, looking at the pictures in National Geographic Magazine and seeing this pictorial story on China's Great Wall, and remembering it being "One if the 7 Wonders of the World" at that time...Think there are a couple of more that could be added, but word is, the "Committee" are members of the Baseball Hall of Fame Selection group...Anyway, will give you my thoughts on the Wall after the visit...

Hey, I really mean this: so many of you emailed me and expressed sadness and shared my angst over the BOX, and I want you each to know I appreciate your laughter and also shaking your head as you read my account and followups to this point...I felt your "vibes" and THAT ALONE was the inspiration to find the BOX...Take care, safe travels, God Bless...tom

At last! I was fortunate enough to be invited to speak and get on the court again at Coach Wang Fei's Basketball Academy outside Beijing...What a pure joy this experience was, and those parents whose sons and daughters have trained with me over the last several years "know" how much I enjoy teaching and watching players practice new skills they are being taught for the first time...

The Wang Fei Basketball Academy is part of a private middle and high school institution...It has over 1,000 boys and girls enrolled in the school for academics, and Coach Fei's program is an "add on" extracurricular program offered at the school...He only has boys, ages 11-17, all with varied skill levels, some advanced, some not so advanced, but ALL eager and willing to be taught...Coach Wang Fei bridged a relationship this past summer in Hawaii when I was accepting the invitation by SunJun, GM of the Jilin NE Tigers CBA team...Little did I realize then, how close Wang Fei was to SunJun, having played with him on numerous National Teams as well as on the well known Bayi Red Army Team, the Boston Celtics of old CBA team...Wang Fei shared with me during our dinner after the afternoon session today, about how SunJun approached him and asked him as friend and mentor what he thought about me as an "NBA Coach coming to the CBA for his team...?"...Wang Fei said that he had known my father, Coach Pete Newell for many many years and that he was watching how I interacted with the All Star Americans in the CBA Draft Camp in Hawaii during the week, and said the players respected me and listened to me during timeouts and substitutions, but that my greatest strength would be in teaching his young players in Jilin...Wow, I said to myself, little did I know that he too was supporting SunJun's decision to hire me as his team's leader...Couple that with Coach Bruce O'Neil, President of the United States Basketball Academy in Springfield, Oregon, how could I go wrong! Coaches, remember this always: if you teach the game the right way, respect the players, Officials and people supporting this wonderful activity, you have a much better chance to keep "working" than not...

Back to the Academy...So, Wang Fei introduces me to 72 students in attendance for this afternoon session, and his assistant coaches (OUTSTANDING Teachers in their own right!), and beforehand, asked me to "appeal" to them about applying their efforts in school, not just on the court everyday, that they are very lazy for the most part in classroom study and application...Now he's talkin to the right "Cat" when it comes to speaking to kids in school and sports...Not missing a beat, I have these young fellas in front of me, and right away ol coach here addresses them with a "Niaho" and then proceeds to have Wang Fei translate "how many habits are there in basketball?"...The murmur rises as the seconds tick by and I pick out a young player and ask him "how many?"...He answers correctly: "two" in perfect English...Now keep in mind, these players are supposedly "studying" English in school, albeit, not very consistently, but I am encouraged that he had the self confidence to give me the answer: "Good and Bad..."...The next question led to "how many ways can you play the game..."...Now many hands raise and I am really encouraged now...I point to one older player (16-17 yrs. old) and he says through Wang Fei, "two...good and bad..." with a smile, and I say "yes, there are two ways, but not good and bad, rather Right Way and Wrong Way...", using the example of dribbling the ball with your head down (demonstrating this I might add) and ask if this is a "good habit or bad habit, using my thumbs up or down, respectively, an International sign language unto its own), they all raise their hand with "thumbs down" and that leads into the next question, "is it the Right Way or Wrong Way?...Again arms raise and "thumbs down" is unanimous...Then I say, "Excellent, NOW we have an understanding about how I will teach you today..."...Then we explore the "3 Speeds in basketball": Quick (change of direction), Fast (transition on Offense and Defense) and lastly the most important: Slow (playing under control, learning something new in a drill etc.)...Their eyes lit up, I have 'turned' on a 30w Bulb in their basketball minds...This sets up the "next" conversation about "habits in school work and applications"...90% of the kids raised their hand when I asked them point blank whether they could "do better in school and studying..."...They ALL nodded and agreed that they had bad habits when it came to having a Best Effort everyday in school, NOT ever mentioning bball in this exchange...We then proceeded to the courts where I demonstrated a one dribble with right hand, step off with the left foot shooting drill from the top of the key...which evolves into several other one dribble or two dribble (no more than that) moves to the basket...There were 6 baskets available, and we had more than enough help to successfully complete the drills for today...Let me say this: I have worked many many basketball camps over the last 38 years and this was the FIRST camp where the kids "picked" up very quickly the importance of keeping their heads up when making a 1 on 1 move towards the basket (you must READ the defense always when going 1 on 1 so you can REACT to any "help" defense and change direction with the ball (Quick speed) to finish the ATTACK...by the end of our session together, each player had successfully learned a couple of new moves and were excited to have me show them how to practice on their own with the same...even Wang Fei's assistants 'seized' the opportunity to also demonstrate to players who had difficulty coordinating the dribble with the balance and handle needed to be successful going to the basket...But more importantly, I WAS ON THE COURT AGAIN!! GLORY!!

Dinner later that evening with Wang Fei and his former teammate, Coach Lee...Wang Fei wanted me to experience Beijing Duck with him and Coach Lee, as well as other Epicurean delights, Chinese dishes I've had before but never so flavorful as these...the dishes: a spicy "bamboo" slices, sauteed and mixed with onions and mushrooms...I've had bamboo before, BUT this dish, WOW...next came a dish with "duck's feet", a delicacy served cold and prepared with Wasabe' hot mustard...I didn't want to disrespectful and not try it, so I did...not bad, not bad at all...good thing I had something to "wash" it down with...and that was puree Corn juice, heated to a boiling level and served in a tall glass...First time I'd ever tasted such and let me tell you, it had NO ADDITIVES such as sugar or molasses, just the fresh puree kernels, heated...Y'all gotta try that one, especially the kids, beats the heck out of a carbonated drink, that's for sure...next came a plate of large shrimp, with under-shell covered bread crumbs...how good was that? Of the 2 dozen, I had at least a dozen as Coach Fei and Coach Lee were into the duck's feet and bamboo root...next we had string green beans, with onions, small red peppers and mushrooms...are you getting hungry yet? Next was a saute' pan served at our table with Green Peppers, Red Peppers, Onions, Chicken pieces (no bones), green sting beans, and curry sauce...SOMEBODY please tell me how I've missed out "this" dish all the time I've been here!! Now that dish was "attacked" by 3 pairs of Chopstiks and surprisingly I "held my own" in the grab...If I can say there two "things" that I've improved remarkably on it would be as follows: How to cross the street safely, with a "bobble head" motion keeping me safe...next is my adept left handed chopstik mechanics...You wouldn't believe how many of the players and others who I have had the distinct pleasure of sharing a traditional meal with when I choose NOT to use the Western Utensils put in front of me...Most are dumbstruck by my being lefthanded and "doin my thing" with such precision...no, I don't "need" to catch flys or other flying objects to prove my skill, just know this: plastic chopstiks are no longer a "fear factor" when eating out in public in China...Back to the entree's...Next comes one of the Chefs wheeling a waist-high cart, and a roasted Peking Duck on top (this duck was through "peeking" at anything)...Wang Fei has him wheel his "duck cart" around so I can watch his skills carving a just-cooked Duck...Let me tell you, not only was this Chop Knife (the same used for veggies) SHARP, the Chef was "sharper"...I was so mesmerized by his skill, Wang Fei started laughing because my eyes were transfixed on how quickly he shaved to the bone the meat from the Duck...I mean this took all of maybe 4 and half minutes and there were two plates of meat well stacked and ready for "roll" shell that comes with this dish...How good was this? Wang Fei and Coach Lee laughed out loud when I took my first bite and under my breath I was sighing "ummmmmmm"...Keep in mind, I've had the Beijing Duck, back in early December in Beijing with our two American players and the GM...That was my first time and there also did I release an "ummmmmmm" and draw laughter from the table...But this "ummmmmm" was a different "octave" level, as it was served right before us, still warm and ever so fresh...I asked Wang Fei if he knew any Spanish, to which he replied no, so I taught him "NO MAS!!", meaning I was "done" eating for the night, there was not another morsel that could match what I had just experienced...He laughed again and so did I...what a prince of a guy Wang Fei is...His wife was suppose to join us but she was with her ill stricken father and could not be with us...I hope I can meet her sometime...They have one daughter who attends BYU Hawaii as a Freshman...She speaks fluent English and is a Business school major...Wang Fei is not a Mormon, but his actions and social disciplines are exemplary: he doesn't smoke or drink alcohol...and tonight was the first dinner I've ever had in China where alcohol and cigarettes were not part of the "menu" for the sitdown experience...This much I know: Wang Fei and I are going to be "newest" best friends for many years to come, trust me...We talked hoops the whole time we were not on the court...He has a great mind for the game and is without a doubt the BEST teacher of skills I have seen since arriving on this continent...I am committed to HELPING him any way I can with future additions of Pro Players to his teams in the near future...We are already planning a "tryout" in Seattle, whereby I will invite 10 players to come to Seattle and spend 4 days, going through drills, interviews and evaluations by myself and Coach Ernie Woods (Hooptactics.com)...I came up with this idea after hearing his "plea" to help him "find" good character and citizens that can make his team compete for a Championship...Our kind of guy, No? Anyway, Coach Fei will also bless my weekend sessions at Eastside Catholic on one of the weekend mornings, as I asked him to "help" me, then I will "treat" him to our Northwest Seafood delights: Salmon and Rockfish with vegetables...replacing Duck's feet with Fresh Calimari and of course Rice...If you ever need a Caterer, the best one I've ever experienced is Russell and Rick Lowell from Lowell Catering in Seattle...Now THEY know how to prepare Salmon and ANY Epicurean dishes to foreigners unaccustomed to our NW delights...They do Weddings, Special Events, Banquets and Private presentations...Keep them in mind if you're thinking of doing something different for the Senior Students' Graduation in June...

The "box"...don't ask, please...I've run out of Aleve and I don't have the energy to even try to "look" again into the whereabouts...tomorrow I have to buy new accessory items that go to my computer: camera, headset, plugs, monitor plugs...arrrrrrrrrgh!!! Enuff said...I leave for Russia on Sunday via Seoul, Korea, overnight there and on to Vladivostok...Being in "warm" Beijing now (Hawaii compared to Changchun cold), I am going to a city that is COLDER than Changchun!! And here I thought my cold "daze" was done, fini, ovah, adios, sayonara, goodbye...Oh well, might have to get some "woolies" as they call them here in China...Take care, drive safely, slow down, and God Bless...much love to all, Coach tom

January 23, 2008...Wednesday night...at the airport waiting for the flight from Changchun to Beijing...and Bob Marley is definitely the "Mastah Rastah Brah"...I've got him on my Nano now, and let me tell you, his words from his heart overshadow his love for life...and his was short...God Bless him...

It's kind of a bittersweet departure right now...leaving Coldchun and the kind, generous people that I became close to on the team at the Hotel and throughout the city...It has been a wonderful journey, these last 5 months in Changchun...The pictures I have captured through the lens of Steve Castleberry and my dear friend, Larry Stone, only accentuate the positive feelings I come away with from here...I'll always remember being addressed as an "old man" by Pancake, "Shortstack", our translator...NOW THAT was a cultural shock of sorts hearing that the first time, trust me...With the players, that all stopped quickly when I stepped on the court and began demonstrating footwork and change of speed one on one moves that detailed balance, recognition and execution, challenging each player to "new" areas of discipline and application...You see, our young aspiring players today seem to think that they can "get by" on their innate skills, which have evolved from And 1 videos, pickup games that are no more than 1 on 1 "horrorplay", and of course what they see on the tele professionally...and THIS IS UNIVERSAL, sadly...

Plane delayed ONLY 3 and a half hours...and FINALLY I arrive to my hotel in Beijing at 2am...The following events between Beijing airport and my hotel is a script that could only be acted out by Steve Martin or Albert Brooks...meaning, I need to rewind here (it's now Thursday after 6 hours sleep and 5 phone calls already this morning from the "new" on duty Concierge, whose understanding of the English language is about as good as mine in Chinese...got the picture?)...I was "hustled" by a supposed Taxi Driver upon leaving the baggage claim area, and after letting this "Napoleonic" figure know that I appreciated his effort, I wanted to speak first to the Information on Travel and Hotels that is in front of the Baggage Exit...I first ask the young woman if she spoke Chinese, which she said "yes"...I then asked her if this "gentleman" was a "licensed" driver and legit, to which she asked me if I was looking for some noodles to eat first...NOW THAT should have been a "sign" in itself...So, I changed my question to: "is this man a REAL Taxi Driver?"...She then asked him in Chinese and he in PERFECT English states: "I have BIG METER..."...and he's a small guy...We now have a "crowd" surrounding me and my dialogue, and true to my cynic nature, I tell him I'm "1 meter 95"...he didn't seem amused but the Lady laughed...Anyway, I "allowed" him to him and his "friend" to help me with my two carts, that being the case because of the materials I am taking to Russia, courtesy of Lee Larson and my son, Bo's "care" package mailing a couple of weeks ago...I have 3 suitcases and 6 boxes, file type that are on the cart...this is important to follow along here, as I am teaching you something about arriving to Beijing in the middle of the night, fatigued, and about as pleasant as old dog resting on hot summer day and being bothered by a fly that keeps trying to land on its nose...Keep in mind, I have been on a train over 7 and a half hours and a plane for 3 something in the last 24...How Kiefer Sutherland does "his" version of "24", I have no clue, but MINE require a number of pit stops and delays along the way, for sure...Fortunately, I don't wish to "eliminate" anyone like Sutherland does...but ALMOST was ready to after this trip...

The Ride: "Lil Nap" as I now have nicknamed him, and his friend take me curbside, all the while in my non-beveraged induced stupor, thinking to myself: "hmmm, here he is, with his "friend" taking me and my carts to the "Taxi"...Now, keep in mind, that there is NO FREAKIN way that the Port of Seattle Police would EVER allow a Taxi Driver to leave his "parked" taxi in front of the arrivals gate, right? So, as we ascend to the "Stairway to Hell" (tom's version of the Led Zepp classic), I am getting my second wind, meaning "sober" and realize that "this is going to be REAL interesting when I see HIS taxi and where he has it "stashed"...Lil Nap goes quickly to the curbside and hollers for this "private" BLACK, VW Passage sedan to come to the curb to pick me up (I KNOW Chinese well enough now to understand "voice inflections well, mind you), and here it comes, screeching to a halt, and a young fella jumps out, trunk popped and the two guys with my cart are getting ready to load "me" up...I politely tell "Lil Nap" to hold on...NO!!...They both stop in their tracks and Nap says to me: "what your problem?"...I say, where's the "meter" on this car? He says: "you have many bags...I have many cars, and this is special for your hotel..."...They say during the day the smog is really bad in Beijing, but no one ever told me about the "methane particles" that are also a HUGE emission problem at the airport...I tell him to give me the price NOW before he takes one bag and places it inside the vehicle (did I say BLACK SEDAN...? ...the windows were so tinted that a laser couldn't penetrate its film!!)...He says: "200 Yuan"...Which is about right...BUT he wanted to take TWO CARS to the hotel...Now the lyrics to Led Zepp's classic are ringing in my mindshare: "There's an Old Man I know, whose intentions are good and he's driving his way to hellllllllllll...oooh weee oooohooooh wee...and he's buying his way to hellllllllllla..."...I say ONE CAR, and look to call a METERED Taxi...I tell him that he was not honest with me, when he said he had "BIG METER" and that I was not happy with his actions now...He apologized and said 'okay', one car...He says that this is "Good Driver", he will take good care of you, okay...now you must tip tip tip me for my hard push...and to think, in less than 5 months, the world is going to "experience" thousand-fold what I am going through right now, and I thought I was a savvy "cat"...Back to the "Blackmobile"...the back door is opened and the seats are lamb hair covered, really nice in fact...so all the bags and boxes go into this vehicle, and I thank Lil Nap and his friend and give them a $10 tip between them...which they both looked at me like: "did you see the Stock Market today, bad day, we want more...", and I smiled and "SiChi" (thank you...seeshe)...Now to the "ride"...so we're rollin along on the highway with very very few automobiles traveling at 2am right now, and I strike up a conversation with "The Fella"...he knows a little English, and not enough, I'm soon to learn, and we're heading downtown to my hotel from the airport...not only did this car have its seats lamb covered, but so was the steering wheel...so much so, that I'm hoping that no animals "jump" in the path of our car, 'cause if it did, there's NO WAY that this fella is going to be able to do a "Nascar" swerve accurately...That mental pause on my part was short lived, as I remembered all too well, that most dogs and cats are "delicately" prepared for the table, which meant "fat chance" on hitting anything with four legs right now...Our conversation quickly moved to "you like basketball" and you "play" basketball...His eyes and smile told the rest of the story...He loves basketball and the NBA...Great, I say to myself, he just might be alright for this trip to my hotel...Now we are inside the city limits, heading towards my hotel as he slows down on an offramp...he soon STOPS in the right lane of the two lane offramp, calls someone on his cellphone to GET DIRECTIONS...and then I'm singing to myself: "Help me if you can I'm feelin dowwwnnnn...and I do wish that someone else were arounnnnnd...", and NOW he's LOST...I shoulda known that someone as young as Li is (24 years old), living in Beijing, where there are more than 20 million people, that he has NO experience with ALL the hotels that are in this city, let alone the street addresses...This I know, he wasn't a "homing pigeon" before in another life, as we spent a half hour trying to find my hotel, which I actually gave him IN CHINESE the directions and he goes "I know I know...", they say that alot in English here when they DON'T know something...keep that in mind when you're here...Then, at a signal, he jumps out of his car TWICE to get directions to the hotel, the first time at a signal, the next time at a side street and he runs back about 50 yards to ask a Taxi Driver the same...Now why wouldn't he just BACK UP like he did on the offramp to "get" directions on his first call for help...I now have my hotel on the cell and as he gets into my car, I give him the receptionist and he's listening and driving ahead...hmmm, now all of sudden HE KNOWS where he's going...he cuts her off to take another call and then 3 mins. later, we pull up in front of the Red Wall Hotel...does he pull up in front...no...he pulls ahead away from lights and says okay, "Pay me 200 Yuan and Tip"...I tell Li that he must back up to the front of the hotel and I will pay him then to help me get my bags out of the car...so, backs out of the lot and drives around to the front and jumps out, starts pulling bags and boxes out and I'm slowly helping all the while and then he shuts the doors to his passenger side back door and says "now Tip"...I said, "Li, you did good job to get me here, but you did not do good job to find hotel..."...With that he jumps in and takes off...I check in and forgetting to get a receipt from Li, soon realize that two of my 6 boxes are missing..."Won't you pleeeeease pleeeeease HELP ME HELP MEeeeeeeee ooooooh..."...Now I am NOT a Happy Camper at all...I start speaking in "tongues" to no one in particular, and this young bellman, David, says to me in a kind, reassuring voice, "Sir, I can help you...do you have the Taxi receipt?...I tell him no, but I do know what they ALL look like and the name of the Driver...so, my newest "hero", David, takes me to my room and says, I will help you, please don't worry, this man will have to call back because you know what he looks like...So, about 10 mins. later, I get a call to my room and David is all excited as get out to tell me that the "driver" called to the hotel and says that he has your box...but that I must "pay" another 200 Yuan to get it back...I tell David to keep him on the line as I will come down quickly to speak to him directly...Let me tell you something, my "transition" was so good that Lorenzo would have had me demonstrate at my age on how to "run a fast break lane" correctly...Now I'm at the Bellman's desk and I tell David to tell him that I am calling the Police NOW, and that he will never drive again and to bring my box back NOW...David translates this to Li and he wants to now speak to me...He now is speaking English and telling me that he is sorry that he didn't realize that the box was still in the back seat...I told him that there is no way I am paying him another 200 Yuan and that if the box is not here in the next 20 minutes I will call the Police and report him...I give the phone back to David and he repeats the SAME words in a different voice inflection that I am sure spoke to "the fella's" conscience...David says my box will be here in 20 mins. as he was back at the airport again...

20 Minutes later...an older lady dressed as a Taxi Driver comes into the hotel with my box...not "the fella", but a heavy set woman, with no smile and demanding 100 Yuan for this box...I'm sitting down while David, my new "hero" is negotiating with her...I know that I have to "pay" something to this driver because she got set up, and at 3:30 am, I AM NOT about to do evil upon her, so I kindly give her 80 Yuan, thank her and explain that the Police are going have a report this incident...She NOW smiles and says back to David, that she was doing "Lil Nap" a favor that's all and away she went...I now ask David to call Li back and ask him where the other box is...he tells David that there was only ONE, not two, and "that is the truth..."...the bar's closed and I am in need of a G&T RIGHT NOW...Larry Stone where ARE YOU when I KNOW you can handle this situation much better than I, and even my good friend Big D would have had BOTH boxes in my room by 3am, not one by 3:30am...So, now my day begins with becoming the American version of Inspector Clousteau...I was planning on visiting the Forbidden City, which is across the street from my hotel, but that shall wait, as I NEED the box that has my materials for the Russian Clinic in 10 days...Hope you're able to follow my story, Folks, as this is the only way I can maintain my sense of Irish humor and share the "Magical Mystical Tour" with y'all...Stay tooned...Safe travels, all the best, hope you enjoyed this entry...I felt much better after reading it twice...I'm a slow reader...Coach tom

January 25, 2008...Saturday late morning...2 Advils, meditative positive thoughts vibrating once again...BUT STILL NO FREAKIN BOX that's disappeared between my hotel and Beijing...Okay, I know, "it's just a box, tom...", but YOU don't know that I had my laptop headset in it, my laptop camera, my seattle cell phone, my basketball folders for the Russian coaches, my hookup connections to various plugs...In other words, I am only 'half-connected', but then again there are those out there who've always thought I've been "half connected" for a long time...Guess what? I've always had a "ground" plug attached and that's what has made me unique compared to others...Thank God!!

Okay, here is how my Thursday went after getting to sleep around 4am same morning...I spent several hours with 4 different people "sleuthing" the missing "box" and getting down to the nitty gritty of where it may have disappeared from when I left the hotel in Changchun...The Staff here at the Red Wall Hotel have been magnificent Hosts...From David, the Bellman, to Aaron, Asst. Mgr., to Wi (Wee), asst. to the asst. Mgr., and then the momentary appearance and greeting from the Mgr. herself, Stacy...Here's the lowdown as of Saturday morning: my box DID not, according to Security Cameras at the Red Buds, Changchun Hotel, indicate that I had 6 boxes, that they only counted 5 on the cart going outside to load up into the Taxi...This information arrived at 5 pm on Thursday night, leaving me a "new found" type of headache, AKA "Boxache"...So now, I am retracing the last steps from room to elevator and who was with me, and THEN a "flash", not a "hot" one, but similar: "YES, the EMS Shipping fella was with me and helped me with my boxes (who by the way is a GREAT GREAT new Friend, responsible for getting my Xmas presents home to the US on time...), and I'm thinking that he must have accidentally taken it with him and I forgot to give him instructions as to where to send it...Now I am so excited I jump into the elevator to share this "brainstorm" recollection with Aaron, and as the elevator doors open, guess who is walking in the hallway in front of me? Aaron!! Now he gives me this look like: "aren't you ever going to accept the fact that you lost your box...?"...And I quickly embrace him and tell him "I think I know what happened to it...the EMS Shipper may have accidentally picked it up..."...Which means that in order to call the Shipper, I need someone to translate and Aaron knows this...We then go to his desk, I give him my cell phone and he calls "my Guy", who says initially YES, I have Coach's Box, and watching Aaron's countenance change from Hyde to Dr. Jekyll very quickly...Ah, I'm thinking to myself, I am really good at this CSI stuff, I "found it" by reflecting...or so we thought, when in fact, EMSer didn't have the box and was now worried that I thought he "took" the box...Poor Aaron has this look on his face, like: "doesn't this American have something better to do than WORRY about a "box"...?...He's right, I do, BUT the fact of the matter is I had a lot of stuff in THAT box that I want back if I can track it down...Aaron hangs up, explaining that I DID NOT even for one minute think he, EMSer took the box and that's where it is...Then Aaron politely says, "I'm not sure what you can do next, Sir, I am at a loss here..."...So I ask him a simple question: "if you were me, and you lost a jacket in an airport where would you TURN to?"...he looked at me and realized that we had NOT asked the airports to locate this missing "box"...I am now thinking that the "box" and the Stat sheets I never received are linked...Aaron then says: "why of course, the Lost and Found...we have one here also at the Hotel...you're right, we only spoke to the baggage claim people NOT to LOST and FOUND...I will see if I can connect with both airports...BUT, right now, I have a headache and need to take a break, do you mind?"...Now I really felt bad...I asked him if I could buy him dinner in the Hotel...no thank you...then I asked him if he'd ever had a Gin and Tonic, it's very good, makes my hair grow...And he looked at me like I was truly "half connected" or "nutz" and it was then that I realized his "service" had run its course and pleaaaaaaseleavemealonenow so I can gather my thoughts for the "other" 200 guests...Dang, I felt so bad, I didn't do a darn thing about the "box" yesterday but I'm on it today...what the heck, it beats doing the Crossword Puzzle in the China Daily newspaper...So here I be, with a "boxache" to boot, trying to figure out what happened...

Stay tooned...as you can see, the books I've read, the games I've coached in and the life in China has devolved into a "challenge" of sorts, trying to find my "box"...Safe travels, God Bless...Coach tom

January 22, 2008...Tuesday...Somewhere between Coldchun and Shenyang on a slow train to Shenyang...When I say slow, we're talking the kinda "slow" that when you paint your house with an oil base paint and watch it dry...yep, THAT slow...

Okay, I FINALLY received the DHL documents this morning, which was originally expected to arrive no later than the 191h from Vladivostok, Russia...That being said, I missed the train yesterday, Monday, and had to ask a favor of the Bellman to exchange them back at the Station for me if he had the time (most definitely tipped him, which he refused to accept, until I told him that I wouldn't be his friend anymore...)...He was able to get 80% of face value, which means the tickets to Shenyang that I didn't use cost me 8 dollars...There's no such thing as "changing" the ticket to another day in China...Why? You ask? Because it's China...

So, my "newest" best Friend in China, Louis Ming, the Headmaster and Co-Director of the BAIDAWEI English School in Changchun, and myself are traveling together on this "slow" train filled with every imaginable character known to Mao...Without, Louie, I can't imagine how I would have ever been able to get to Shenyang safely and with my sense of humor still intact...Louie and I became friends three nights ago at dinner (see previous Post), when I presented to him a Concept and Draft on an student exchange program that now appears is going to happen...I am really excited about this prospect, trust me, as the students (ages in school 5-16 boys and girls) in this school are the most astute and clear speaking Chinese students I've met to date...They look right at you and address your questions, and also your answers...The model they've implemented in this school is beyond "commendable", it's truly an outstanding piece of extraordinary structure and administration...The teachers are imports from abroad, Americans, English, Aussies, Canucks, I mean now I know how China was the first manufacturer to come up the idea of a "blender", 'cause they most definitely "know" how to blend...And Louie, the CEO and his partner, David, President, have established this school as the #1 in Changchun, having to turn away applicants...They're considering adding another venue next year...the only thing holding them back is the qualifications of applicants online for a teaching position...It's a difficult process they've experienced in the past, but NO MORE...I am now helping this school in expanding its horizons, by introducing "New Horizons...portals to the World..."...This will begin with bringing students over to the Puget Sound for two weeks to experience firsthand our culture and having the opportunity to speak their ESL in a public environment, where English is the norm...Also in this "plan" would be ol tommy boy here, helping them with the screening process of applicants for overseas placement at BAIDAWEI schools (4-5 schools at this time)...Also included in this "vision" is Louie's idea of helping him develop a basketball program within BAIDAWEI that would bring in 14 yr. old students, boys and girls, whose parents would love nothing more than to see their children learn English, become outstanding students overall, and perhaps qualify for an Athletic Scholarship for basketball skills...Imagine this scenario: "true" Student Athletes, attending high school in the Puget Sound, sharing cultural experiences, athletic endeavors and developing the necessary academic disciplines to go on to a university and gain a degree in the end...NOW THAT would be a GREAT scenario/ending in my book...Will let you know how Family Sports Life Today is able to bring this whole program along...If I were to put it on a scale of 1-10 for happening this Summer: "!!" would be the number of record...

"Get me a Ticket for a Fast Train...ain't got time to take no Slow Train..."...Well, I finally received my "stamp" of approval from the Russian Consulate in Shenyang...Now we're on the Fast Train back to Changchun, I repack, check out and catch a plane to Beijing at 7:40pm tonight...Talk about a whirlwind..."The same thing that makes you mad, will also make you glad..."...after being sorely disappointed in DHL service, and NOT to their fault but the "Security" measures taken by ANY AND ALL Documents that come through China to anyone, the "weight" of my Official Invitation in this Airbill was the equivalent of a book of stamps...So, after catching the train last night, sleeping soundly and preparing for the Consulate's Office this morning, I was cognizant enough to remind myself (keep in mind, I think I have "Halfheimers", 'cause I only remember HALF of what I tell myself), bring a TURTLENECK, just in case you have to stand outside for 5 to 10 mins...So I actually did remember to pack this item...and boy, did it help immensely in reminding me how cold it is to stand outside in 25 below Zero weather for 40 MINS. and NOT 5-10 as hoped...Whoever thinks that the "Cold War" is over, just try to stand outside in subfeezing weather, waiting numbly for an invitation to come inside the Attache's Office for your Visa Stamp...After 10 mins. you're thinking like the anxiously addicted Lotto holder, who week to week can hardly "stand" to wait for the numbers to appear...I often wonder if those people actually play Ping Pong, and if they do how well...you know, the balls etc., and watching them come up one by one on the screen daily...Back to story: so here I am, 8:00am, standing outside the Embassy Entrance to the Russian Delegate's Office, with Louie translating to the Chinese Guard protecting the gate, identifying me and my purpose and trying to "throw in" an extra plug about "why" I'm there and that they are expecting me, which was true...The Guard gives us the telephone number of the Attache' who I met back in September when we (Tate and Castleberry) had to get our visa stamps for the Tournament in Vladivostok, Russia (earlier blogit)...Louie tells me that we have a half hour before they open the gate, let's go to KFC until then...I declined, as I remember how they have this special security camera outside the gate to "observe" the applicants BEFORE inviting them inside, and figured IF they saw this somewhat tall (by Asian standards) Anglo outside freezing his natural parts to the infantile stages of conception, that maybe JUST MAYBE, they'd let me in early...Back to the phone number of the Attache' inside, Paul is his name...So I call him and inbetween stutters and stammers, reminding me of my first "date" in high school as a 14 year old who had no clue what to say or how to act in conversation, he screams out to me "What...you come to gate 9am...I think I let you in..."CLICK...or was that an ear-wax projectile that came out of my right ear?...So, I tell Louie if he'd be so kind to bring me back a coffee, first one in a long long long time, I'd be forever grateful...he did 15 mins. later, as it takes 15mins. for every 5 that you're outside in the subzero weather...Man, it could have been Havoline 10W 30W, heated in a styrofoam cup and I would have DRUNK it at this point...It's been close to 30 mins. now, my ears as stiff and I'm sure as crisp as a Michael's Potato Chips, my nose/septum blocking my vision remarkably and me STARING right into the security camera from across the street...All I''m thinking at this point is "who the hell said that the "Cold War" was over...'cause if they're enjoying the black and white picture on the Security Camera of this American Patriot exhaling vapor like a poor runnin VW Bug, well, at my expense they got a chuckle for sure...Geeeze, I'm trying to remember when it's NOT SAFE to be outside for X number of minutes...Finally, at exactly 9:10am, Tall Paul (6'5" former University player I befriended the first time we visited this Consulate) appears and in front of about 20 applicants converging on the gate, he motions for me to come inside, "Please"...with a smile and a handshake, and in perfect English, he greets me and welcomes me again...WOW, my ears ringing with pure delight and defrosting at the same time, I do have a "friend" afterall in the Embassy here...You see, basketball friendships are without borders and paranoia, Paul took my application, 2,100 Yuan/RMB, and passport and said: "wait a moment, Coach, I come back to you shortly..."...20 mins. later...ONLY 20 mins. later he delivers my Passport with stamp included and wished me well and said he appreciated how much I was doing to help coaches in Russia and to consider going to St. Petersburg, Russia to help the college coaches there..."...I asked him how long it would take by train from Vladivstok...he said "ONLY 7 days...!!"...I asked by plane? "Only 12 hours..."...Whoever said that Russia is NOT a large country only has to hear where one coast stretches to the other to get an idea of the vastness of geography...

Okay, so here I am on the Fast Train back to Changchun...this train has "sleeper" cars with 4 bunks and an area the equivalent size of an apartment walkin closet, yeah, that COZY...fortunately, this is a "day train" and not so busy nor occupied like last night and we're really not bothered by anything...I'm writing this blogit, Louie's reading the newspaper, and life outside the window is a blur...

I will blogit tomorrow, after my meeting with the NBA/China President, and hopefully share some insight to their "future" plans...I figure with as much international experience I have under my belt, there's gotta be some value to League with my expertise areas...In the meantime, take care, keep a happy face and drive safely...Best wishes always, Coach tom

So, today, I was expecting my documents from the Vladivostok, Russia, Basketball Federation via DHL...only to be left out in the "cold" so to speak, as it was revealed to me that they will may not arrive until Monday or Tuesday, meaning I will postpone my trip to Beijing until Thursday, after I go by train to Shenyang, a 3 hour trip to the Russian Consulate's office for the "stamp" of approval...arrrrgh...It's not that I want to leave, rather I had already planned on my departure date on the 23rd of January...Imagine this: an "overnight" letter from Russia to China takes 5-7 days to get to my city, Changchun...I did NOT expect this delay, after waiting so patiently for the last two weeks to receive this document...now, a delay, but there MUST be a positive that comes from this setback, so to speak...And there was!

Tonight, I had dinner with the CEO of Beidawei (By the Way) English Teaching School here in Changchun...I was introduced to this gentleman, Mr. Luis Ling, through an English teacher, who I asked "if" they have a foreign exchange program in place...which they do not at this time...So, ol tommy boy got his thoughts together, focusing on the positive and forgetting the "woe is me" for a moment, and put together a proposal whereby students who attend this prestigious school for ESL, and the next thing I know, my "idea" was born into reality...I proposed to this gentleman, the prospects of having his English speaking students (high school age) come to Seattle this summer and visit our Seattle Asian community and experience firsthand the culture of Asian-Americans living in the United States...Little did I realize that Mr. Ling would be enthralled with the concept and idea to have his students and chaperones participate in such a tremendous learning environment...I had proposed that students would visit the UW, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific and Northwest University, Kirkland, and see firsthand what a US campus life environment would be like...These students are the "creme de la" crop of the school, and are so intelligent and well spoken in our language, that they would surely qualify for ANY and ALL universities, BUT, would NOT know how to prepare (SATs) for applications and enrollment without having the firsthand exposure to the campuses of varied numbers of students...I am so excited that this idea was so well received by Mr. Ling and the English teacher...Next order of business will be contacting the people I know at the respective universities and asking them for a "day" of exchange for these student visitors and embracing their desire to apply to a large University, Medium-size, and small sized University, shucks I might even "throw" in BCC, with the large number of Asian students attending there, it would be a great complement to the aforementioned institutions...Anyway, I'm on "it", and proceeding forward with establishing initial contacts in the Seattle Asian community and listening to their ideas and thoughts on "receiving" these gifted students...We're talking about 16-20 students, together with parent chaperones and two administrators...Stay tooned on this one, as I am excited as all get out to facilitate such an exchange program of such magnitude...Listen closely: the MORE we exchange our culture to China, the more we will learn from them and they from us...without "preaching" anything...Children have wonderful minds when it comes to "seeing and believing" new elements of learning, vis a vis, an American university of higher learning...Oh I am so excited to be a part of this in a small way, trust me...World Peace only happens through cultural enlightenment and exchange of friendship and kindness...We SET THE EXAMPLE in the world for this measure, and to be a small part of such an epic program...Shucks, I'm stoked beyond words of descriptive delight...Will let you know how it all evolves...I am truly blessed to have this opportunity through basketball to once again "bridge" cultures...Wow...Best to all, and hope everyone is healthy and WARMer than moi...Coach tom

January 16, 2008...Coldchun City, China...Okay, I've been harpin on the fact that there's cold and then there's C O L D...and add an "E R" to this word and you get the chilling visual...The citizens of this city have it down pat...Let's say this: PETA followers would have a hard time wearing non-fur coats under these conditions...I mean really, when you go back a few thousand years, and even a couple of hundred with Native Americans, there was a reason they wore WARM PELTS to keep from freezing in their steps... My nose serves as an able "thermometer" as sorts, and when I have wandered away from the hotel outside to take a Taxi during the DAY, my nose starts to wiggle and waggle...Waggle? A waggle by nostril definition is a motion that doesn't go left to right, but rather the septum raises up on its own as if to telepathically tell me: "What? Are you nuts? YOU shouldn't be out in these elements with the "jet intakes" you have...you trying to freeze me off your face?"...And then I hustle into the cab and began a quick defrost as we speed away...That's the meteorological report of the last week here...One reminder to anyone who comes North of Beijing: bring your Thermals, upper and lower, and some thick wool socks, not that it matters but psychologically you feel like you're protecting yourself a lil bit...

Okay, here is my installment on "Items that one should not leave out of their suitcase when visiting China..."...

Late Summer Visit: Drs. Pepto and Bismol, the "best friends" money can buy as your digestive system "adjusts" to the cuisine...Claritin D or just plain ol Claritin; this will stabilize the affects of smog and dust in the air when you're outside for an extended time (sightseeing, etc.)...Altoids...and the new product, Altoids Gum...Man, those two items were best "pals" for me during my initial stay and also carried me through "dry" nights during these winter months when I chose to keep the heat off in my room (it was soooo dry, I'd wake up like I'd been hiking in the Mojave Desert)...Vitamins C, E, B-12 Complex...even though the Fruits available here are unbelievably delicious, it's not a bad idea to bring your own vitamin supplements...Tissues, hand type variety...they come in sooooo handy when you least suspect they would...small bottle Hand Sanitizers...these are Man's Best Friend in this country...when you visit a hotel restroom or airport restroom and read a sign by the sink that says to "Conserve Water" and then you watch grown men WALK RIGHT OUT of the restroom, well, it's just nice to know that you can wash AND clean your hands with the sanitizers...Bring lots of patience when it comes to trying to get somewhere and your hotel key doesn't seem to "register" with the Taxi drivers...how to avoid "problems?"...Have the Concierge write down on the Hotel Stationery in Chinese the place(s) you wish to visit and then on the backside of the paper, the name and address of the hotel WITH THE PHONE NUMBER...I have found that the Concierges' in most of the Hotels where we stayed as a team during the season, most helpful, and trust me, the Chinese are true professionals when it comes to Service...The Staff here at the RedBuds Hotel are wonderfully trained and continually amaze me with their customer service applications...Case in point: my Anta Team Bag was damaged recently by the airline, unbeknownst to me until I got back to the hotel, and now I need to have it repaired and I completely forgot about it...So, today I took it downstairs, showed the Bellmen and Concierge personnel my dilemma, and immediately said they could repair it...I was so happy to hear that, one, because I really like the bag (wheels on the bottom), and two, it was FREE and the best bag I owned at the time...broke down and bought an unbelievable carryon like Airline Crews have for a GREAT PRICE at one of the largest Marts for International Business Exports...But, now that I'm leaving China, I need to get this bag fixed, and they're taking care of it...Light sweaters in the Spring evenings will keep your Polo shirts warm to your body, as it does cool down in the evening in early Spring...Summer? Forget about it! It's just plain HOT and SWEATY time for 3 and a half months...in Beijing that is...maybe longer...Bring a small Chinese/English Dictionary to help you with simple word identifications...don't overpack...in fact, go look in your closet right now, or even the clothes your wearing and I would wager a bet that the label says "Made in China" on probably 90% of your clothes...jackets...hats and tennis shoes...all that means is this: you can find at a very reasonable price, the same clothes you buy at home, HERE...and their brand new...So, pack light, expect to spend around $200 on some nice shirts and other items...Visa is accepted at most Malls here, but there are some significant amount of stores that only accept Yuan, the Chinese currency...By the way, if you're planning on coming over here, I'd recommend you "change" your budget dollars NOW into Chinese Yuan, as it is dropping daily...When I came here in September, the Dollar was equivalent to almost 7.50 Yuan...today it was 7.17!! I get the feeling it will drop even more as the Olympics approach this summer...just a suggestion...There are some other items I'd recommend you bring for the most part, but I'm at a blank right now, as the "cold" has sneaked into my room and I'm shivering, which means that I have to turn on the "blast furnace" for 5 mins., drink a bottle of water and then turn it off...Okay, hope this helps a lil bit...take care, safe travels, and best wishes to all in your daily lives, I miss the NW very much and my Family and Friends even more...Coach tom

The CBA did a great job to promote their event prior to tipoff, having players from both teams visit elderly people, schools and I believe a hospital as well...They had their "Rookie Game" last night, which wasn't televised, and then their main event tonight...The pregame ceremonies were well planned and a great effort was made by all to put on a "show"...Unfortunately, the players in the Main Event reminded me of pickup basketball by Sunday hoopers, lots of offense and Ole' defense by bothteams...It was the kind of game that if you had a sleeping disorder, no meds were needed, just watch the game and you would see how this particular game reminded you of a level "yo=yo" going up and down the court...

Score? Let's see, when I woke up in the 4th Qtr., DT's team was leading by 5 with 45 seconds to play, and ended up winning by same margin I believe...DT scored 16 points in the first half on array of shots, one coming from Downtown Freddie Brown "zone", like about a 45' uncontested jumper...this was his first activity since last Sunday, and his first "sweat" stepping on the floor after being so ill during the week with the flu...He is scheduled to drive to the Muslim city, Urumqui, not far from this All Star city, and play for the #2 seeded team in the playoffs...I wish him well...He started in this game and I think finished with over 20 points, but I was zonked out when he left in the 2nd Qtr...Only 3 Americans from other teams were added to this All Star event, and having DT being on it in his first season is quite an accomplishment...He's going to have to work very very hard when he returns to the States in preparation for an NBA gig...He has the strength and body type to make a positive impression, only lacking experience vs. top athletic competition to make an "imprint" at this point...We talked about how important it is to continue to develop his upper body strength and conditioning regimen, so he can be successful in the tryout process...He's a fierce competitor and I'm biggest supporter for anything he attempts with the game...He's very "young" in athletic competitions, having only started playing when he was 16 years old...Never was on an AAU team, didn't go through the fanfare and "worship" period of being a "phenom" in high school, so all of the "late" rewards to date have been a result of his commitment to improve his overall skills and as he says: "just get better every time out, Coach..."...

Power Outage in Coldchun today...not once TWICE...Hmmm, I'll say this, as cold as it is outside, and the number of people who have electric heat, there could be some new "offspring" come this summer...This morning the power went out for about 25 mins. unexpectedly, and I was watching a movie on HBO when that happened, hoping that I could see the end of Xmen...Never saw that flick before, it was pretty good. when it came back on for the last 20 mins...Then tonight, another blackout, just in case there were those who "didn't" experience the first one during the day...this one lasted about 40 mins., and again I was in my room watching Seven Years in Tibet with Brad Pitt and a wonderful host of actors supporting his role...This movie was an epic event to behold, presenting the awful incursion/experience of this peaceful sovereignty, Tibet, unlike any stories I was aware of before I came to Changchun...My friend, Lee, in Happy Valley, Clackamas, has been a tremendous supporter of these people's cause, and is a dear friend to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama...Who by the way, is making an appearance in the NW, Puget Sound to be exact, sometime in April, I believe...Lee hopes to introduce me to HH and that would be a true highlight in my life, trust me...Okay, enuff said and done here...I'm going to bed, finishing up my template for the Vladivostok clinic coming in a couple of weeks...I was hoping to be working with the Junior team here in Changchun, but everyone in the Jilin Tigers team has gone on vacation already, and the teams are out of town playing in some tournaments, so here I am, packed and rarin to go to Beijing and then Russia in two weeks...I leave for Beijing January 23rd and will be there 10 days before my trip to Russia...I have a appearance at a basketball academy there in Beijing the week after next, helping out a coach/friend of my father...There are suppose to be high school boys and girls who attend this school...Will blogit when I arrive and keep y'all posted...

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting a very interesting ex-pat by the name of Aaron A. Vessup...He is a distinguished gentleman from Southern California, whose life of education and life experiences has brought his "journey" here Jilin University, Changchun City, China...I met Aaron at our last home game, sitting directly behind our bench, and of course you know me, I just had to acknowledge him before the game got underway...We exchanged acquaintances after the game, giving him my name and "call me at the hotel Redbuds...", which he kindly did...So, today, we met at the lobby bar and visited for a good hour and a half, enjoying the pleasure of one another's company, sharing stories of our immediate experiences and past travels...You want to know how "small" the world is today? Get this: he has a home in San Marcos, Guatemala, overlooking the Atitlan Lake and village...Why is this significant? Only because I happened to have been in that very small lake village twice over the last 5 years, accompanying Lee Larson and his Family on a humanitarian visit, teaching local and extended lake village locals on how to teach basketball to children...Now, in a country of 3 billion people and a city of under 4 million, you have to wonder how this could ever happen today...Aaron is an Author, Teacher, Poet, Photographer, Philosopher and genuine kind human being...His travels and intrigue brought him to this province awhile back, and he hasn't left...He teaches college students at Jilin University the merits of debate and patiently "how" to think outside the box, when it comes to understanding life as they know it today in their city, province and country...By no means is he an anarchist or anti-model of all that is good and positive in this ever-changing world, especially on the cusps of the "new" China...He possesses the values and intellect to clearly understand culture and behavior, thus elevating him to a level of instruction that is both praiseworthy and developmental...He comes from an athletic background himself, having been a wrestler and track competitor in college, and more importantly a National Debate Finalist and Champion back in the day...Gosh, it was so fun and unique to have this experience with him, Folks, as you can only imagine...He is working on another manuscript AND photo album/narrative that will capture his observations and those of his students here in Changchun...He gave me a book he recently published, titled: "Songs for Confucious" (Poetry and Photography)...it is quite a compilation he has published here, and I hope to share it with you upon my return...It warms my heart dearly, to see educators here in China, providing a positive-constructive template for learning new skills and knowledge relating to one's world...and to think he has a home in San Marcos, Guatemala...wow...Okay, that's all for now...The CBA All Star game is tonight and I am hoping that it is televised so I can tell you how DaJuan Tate and Wong Bo performed in this annual event...Best wishes to all, safe travels, buckle up...Special note to my students: "May all your Wishes be Swishes..."...Coach tom

Now I know why "furry" animals hibernate during the winter...I think I probably would too if I had any mop on top these days...I mean really, how people are able to daily survive in this type of really cold, you know, the "type" where manmade cloth and half covered body leather, down coat, shoes, thermals DO NOT HOLD BACK the invitation of being outside in this environment...I swear, any "new" hairs that had any desire to regenerate are definitely "on ice" right now...

Went to the Winter Ice Sculpture Park in Changchun last week...It was really a work of art...and admirable too, when you consider this work wasn't done in a warm warehouse or garage, but rather constructed outside over a two to three week period...The ice forms of Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and other Disney characters were really well done...I must say, the Chinese really know how to make impressions and professional displays in their public works...

This past week: rest rest and more rest was my menu "choice du jour" when all said and done...I was so exhausted from the last several weeks of cold, flu cough syndrome, due to all of our traveling in and out of Changchun, my body at this point on the "meter" was like "okay, Newell, one day we're in 10 degree weather, with an assistant coach coughing on you during the games, leaving "gel" on your backside hair, and then in 70 degree weather the next 3-4 days and back to Coldchun...give me a break..."...so you see where the end of the season couldn't have come at a better time, in terms of allowing my complete healing from within to begin and sustain itself in preparation for next month's Russian clinic in Vladivostok...My cough is 90% removed...my "jingle" in my step is back...I always have a "jingle", you know a song in my mindshare that gets me goin each new day, it's fun and I highly recommend it...As long as it's not "heavy metal"...I mean if you choose that, there's a good chance you'll "become" heavy metal, entangled on the highway somewhere from an accident...hope not...

Russian Update: got an email from our State Department's Attache' Office in Vladivostok, Russia, confirming the Visa Documents have finally been approved by the Minister of Sport and Education and a couple of other Ministry closets...I guess...Anyway, this event is turning into an exciting itinerary based upon the latest update from our State Department...I will be doing a 4 day coaches clinic, Feb. 4-8, then a visit to a secondary school outside Vladivostok, addressing a couple hundred kids about Proper Nutrition when playing sports, how to be successful when participating and also talking about making right decisions, off and on the field of one's activity, especially when parents aren't around...then on Feb. 9th I will be an invited speaker to an assembly of Sports Development Students at a Primoryti University, outside Vladivostok, and the topic of presentation will be developing "volunteerism in youth sports through training and certification programs, related to sports nutrition, youth sports injury awareness, and teaching participants first instead of coaching them initially...But the one affair I am most humbled and honored by is the invitation by our Consulate General in Vladivostok, who is having a hosted party for me and the Russian college coaches who will be participating in my clinic...I got goose bumps when I read this part...I mean, what better way to introduce diplomacy and improved relations than through sports training and exchange programs and THEN honoring the attendees...that's great stuff...I can hardly wait to meet the CG there..his support staff of Bridget and Dimitry have been so helpful in cooperating with the various entities there in Vladivostok to make this event happen...I am so blessed...Now, here's the tough part: once I get the Visa Letter/Invitation, I have to take a train from Changchun to Shenyang by train, about a 3 hour trip one way, visit the Russian Consulate's Office there, pay for the "stamp" that will be good ONLY for 10 days NO LONGER...otherwise ol tommyboy is in the "Gulag" writing messages and sending them to you guys in a bottle!! Hah!! Then I get back on the train and return to Changchun, leave the following day to Beijing for hopeful meetings regarding Head Coaching positions, and also making an appearance at Wang Fei's Basketball Academy...high school age players...looking forward to that visit before departing for Russia...

The trip home in February...I am making arrangements to return after the trip to Russia...then on February 18th, I plan on making a trip down south to LA, to visit our daughter Paige, who works for a design company there, and then on to San Diego to drop in on my Father, Coach Pete Newell...I have been able to speak to him throughout my stay here in China, and it has been a wonderful relief to hear his stories and accounts of Cal Football, college basketball and the NBA observations that he has...He is really excited about Yi, the Milwaukee Bucks Rookie who attended The Big Man's Camp when he was 16 and then again the following year...He is so proud of this young man's development, and I can see why: he's a natural when it comes to understanding the game, his footwork and his court demeanor...There should be more CBA players playing in the NBA today, but as long as the coaches misunderstand the template for teaching and developing players, it is going to a very slow process of entry, I'm afraid...

Okay, gotta run, now...it's late and I'm tired, goin to hit the sack...take care, have great Seahawk weekend watching the Hawks vs. the Pack, and I hope the Dawgs fair well vs. USC...drive safely, hug your kids, and kids hug your parents and tell them how much you love them for their love and support in all that you do...Coach tom

Got some GREAT beauty sleep last night, this morning and a nap this afternoon...It's amazing after all these years when a season is abruptly "over", how the order and discipline of daily practices and here the novelty of "controlled" environment is no different in the psychosis of a coach without a practice, competition and playoff to prepare for anymore...There is such a remarkable void, it's hard to describe unless you're a player, coach and parent who experiences this phenomena themselves...I learned a long time ago from my Father, Coach Pete Newell, that is always important to sit down and reflect upon the season completed, reflecting upon positives and learning from the not-so-positives, which quite frankly are defined as: "shouldas...wouldas...couldas..."...once that is done then the visualization of preparing for another opportunity begins to slowly enter the daily thought process, allowing for one's mind to expand the knowledge learned from the many lessons of "yesterseason..."...

So, this means I now get to have "fun" again, sharing with you my humor, if you wish, on what is different between our cultures and how to prepare for a trip in the future to China...

Team Dinner:

I got a call while working on this blogit from Pancake, our translator, inviting me to the Team Dinner...now, you have to understand something about this culture...Pancake tells me the "best plans are no plans...the best schedule is NO schedule...", and Lordy let me tell you, after experiencing first hand the changes in schedules and meeting times, his call this afternoon was NO surprise...in fact, I thought he was calling because I was late for practice or a meeting!! Anyway, he invited me and DaJuan Tate and his wife to join in the celebration (?) of the season past...Number One: I have never had an end-of-the-season celebration when one finishes out of the Playoffs and 3 teams from last in a 16 team League...so I accepted and let me tell you this: the Chinese KNOW HOW to forget and move on from the "day(s)" before, let me tell you...I have NEVER in my basketball life experienced so much forgiveness, happiness and encouragement as I did at this dinner...The media was there, the Fans Support Group of Jilin was there (about 20 core people), myself, the team, the coaches, GM and Ownership Group...I was toasted and celebrated as the "old man" who came to Changchun and through many off court changes stayed and helped us learn many lessons..."...I gotta tell you, that humbled me more than any reward from any season previous in my basketball life as I was caught blindsided by their feelings...That's one thing I have learned daily: "don't put ANY expectations on reactions to your comments, suggestions or recommendations...", as the answer will NEVEDR follow your words...This one lesson I have learned well, off the court and MOST definitely on the court when I "suggested" a Timeout here and there...I never once suffered frustration as much as irritation this season, but then again, I am a "visitor" and the lessons I can teach to the Head Coach and the team are opportunities for all to excel in their professional lives as basketball players and coaches...The dinner: unbelievable...it was held at the Hotel I am staying in right now, The RedBuds Hotel in Changchun City...Where to begin on the entree's...Let's put it this way: there were 9 dishes and NOT ONE WAS BAD...plus my chopsticks (plastic) never once lost a drop...meaning I have taken the bio mechanics of using these utensils to another level...I know this, because I hear the table discussing how a "lefthander", American uses these sticks "so well and freely..."...Pancake then revealed to them that I went to school in Hawaii many years ago and "learned" there, plus coaching in Korea and Japan helped my "dexterity"...let's put it this way: no way will I ever "starve" because of chopsticks at the table!!! The mood was festive, forgiving as aforementioned, but above all it was a wonderful example of "praising" the players for their efforts and courage...I agree with that surmise, as I truly believe the players played to their level of experience and skill, unfortunately their skills were NOT at the level of their competitions...I was asked later in the evening by both the Head Coach and Owner, Mr. Qu, to come back next season, as there will be many changes and they appreciated what I brought to the team...I told them both that I was going to interview with two teams for a Head Coach job and that I would call and let them know what's on the table, that I wouldn't mind being back to help take the Jilin Northeast Tigers to the "next" level in '08-'09...stay tooned...

Things you WON'T see very much of in China:

1) Planes flying overhead in most cities in China, with the exception of Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong (haven't been there but would imagine there are a number of Boeings and Airbuses in airspace hovering Hong Kong on takeoffs and landings...)...I mean, I have YET to see any military aircraft flying overhead or even hearing a "fast" supersonic jet leaving a jet stream in its tail...

2) Birds...I know that sounds strange, but I mentioned in earlier blogits, that I was astonished to NOT see birds in most of the cities we visited when playing...and China has a lot of "Pear Trees", let me tell you...Not sure why of this phenomena, but it's real...

3) Hearses...Mortuaries...and Funeral Processions...now this is understandable, given the vast cultural differences in acknowledging life and "releasing" one's soul to the afterlife through cremation...

4) Pet stores...hmmm, that is A surprise to me here in Changchun, as I would think there would be more Pet Stores than restaurants that specialize in "Canine Cuisine"...I know, I know, but this is considered a "delicacy" in China...I haven't...I won't...and Lord help me if someone tries to "sneak" a morsel of such on my plate someday...

5) Sit Down Commodes...in public restrooms...now THAT is a "shock" to the natural digestive system when you are on a bus and the courtesy "pit" stop for occupants treats you to this cultural SHOCK...needless to say, on LONG road trips, I skipped eating anything that needed digesting, thus allowing me the dignity of standing upright to relieve myself...Whew, this took way too long to describe in a "G Rating" kind of way...

6) Paper Towels in public restrooms...always advisable to "bring" your own tissues to dry your hands after washing...it amazes me when I walk into a Men's Room and there are signs that "encourage" water conservation, thus meaning that most Nationals here, of the male gender, do NOT wash their hands...I probably "spent" a whole lotta Yuan on small package tissues for my "Coach's Bag"...I also was very careful NOT to shake hands and if I did, the "hand sanitizers" from Rite-Aide was applied soon after...

7) Tall Glasses in Restaurants...the glasses for water, juice and soda pop (I don't drink that stuff) are perfect for a Junior-age patron...I've never exercised more in my life eating lunch or dinner to refill my small glass with juice...

8) Ambulances...they're out there I swear, but I've only seen a half dozen on the streets during the day over the last 4 months...go figure...I know this though, the way pedestrians cross the street and the way the Taxis "control" the streets of ANY and all city streets in China, there's not a high demand at this time...

9) In city Gas Stations...visualize this: a very very large city ANYWHERE in China, and NOT seeing a gas station within 5 MILES either direction!! Yes, this is true...They are usually located close to the freeways BEFORE the toll roads (you must pay to travel on any major thorough fare outside the city proper...Can YOU imagine THAT planning and action in the Puget Sound? I can't for the life of me...Anyway, I don't know "when" and where the thousands of automobiles go for gas in this city and others, as it boggles the mind that you would see more KFCs and McDonalds than you would Petrol locations...thus said, take a Taxi, forget about "renting" a car in China...

10) Grocery Stores...forget about it...there are WalMarts and the Mom and Pop stores that are present all over Changchun (2 WalMarts) and hundreds of the others...if you have money (Yuan), then one shops at WalMart...they have ALL the grocery items that AREN'T in the USA stores...and let me tell you, these stores are PACKED...progress will diminish the "value" of neighborhood stores over the next 10 years, I believe...what a shame...

Okay, Part III of my "reflections" on this culture begins again tomorrow...hope this helps all understand the VAST cultural differences between major powers...

Saw where the Huskies went down to the wire at Hec Ed vs. Wazzu, only to lose...Mark this: Lo Romar WILL pull off a couple of upsets this season in the Pac 10 that will bring extreme parity in the League by the end of the season...Shucks, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see the Dawgs UPSET the Cougs IN Pullman...One other note: I am so happy that the UW has FINALLY acknowledged the legendary contributor to the modern game of basketball in naming the practice court at the UW after Coach Marv Harshman...He is one of the true contributors to the modern game and this is qualified by my Father, Coach Pete Newell, who holds Marv in the HIGHEST ESTEEM...I remember back in the day, when Marv was two years removed from the game holding a "kids" camp at the WAC and he was in a Handball Court there teaching 10 year olds how to pass!! If that isn't what a contributor to the game is, I don't know what is...Take care, safe travels...Coach tom

We lost our last home game in typical fashion...down by 20, only to come back within 7 and 9 mins. to play WITH THE BALL in our half court...we proceeded to "open" our infamous "CBA Bakery" and served up 3 consecutive turnovers that lead to the opponents' 7 straight points and it was over...and this was our last game of the season at home...We have some wonderful fans here in Changchun City, faithful and loyal to the end, as we had close to 3,000 show up in our arena that holds 4,000 plus...Our effort was undermanned by the absence of DaJuan Tate, our best player, who sat out with flu...he tried to play, but was soon sitting where he belonged: on the sidelines...He had a great year, one of the top 3 scorers in the League at around 27 per game...His best games are ahead of him, I'm sure...It's immaterial to describe this outcome as we were DOA several weeks ago and were only kept alive by pride and effort to finish the season...

This past week in the new year was not what I would call memorable in my basketball life, but then again, most people who know me would consider "my world" a little different by global standards...The game is a simple contest that requires aptitude, attitude and a whole lot of beatitudes...Every country that I have been blessed to share the game with as a former European player after college to the present day of teaching and coaching through camps and clinics, one thing stands out significantly: there are a lot of young participants and players who are in this world activity, and the major problem is the level of teaching that DOESN'T complement the spirit and commitment their teams provide them in practices and competitions...Now you know why FamilySportsLifeToday.com is committed to helping all levels of organized youth sports, their parents and especially their coaches, volunteers and hired coaches...Our future Podcasts and my submissions will hopefully reflect upon the "need" for annual training modules to help teach coaches how to teach kids...stay "tuned"...

My itinerary over the next four weeks has me preparing for my college coaches clinic in Valdivostok, Russia...our State Department in conjunction with the invitation of the Minister of Sport and Education in Moscow, has requested my presentation to the coaches in Vladivostok, Russia, Feb. 5-12...I am really excited for this opportunity to visit another foreign country and share my basketball life experiences with these coaches for the week...We'll cover basketball philosophy, basketball psychology and the FUNinthementals of teaching the game to their players...Before I depart from Beijing for Vladivostok, I will be in Changchun for two weeks, waiting for my Russian Visa Stamp which I will have to secure with a trip by train to Shenyang, where a Russian Consulate's office is located...that will be a "book and a half trip" (6 hours round trip)...Evelyn Wood was never an option growing up...While visiting Beijing, I hope to visit a couple of museums and perhaps an interview or two for a couple of jobs that supposedly are going to be available in the CBA next season...I most definitely would come back to coach in China...there's too much work to "pass on" in just one season, I'm afraid, plus "if" the city is tad bit warmer than Coldchun City...also, I will be making an appearance at a well known basketball academy in Beijing for high school boys and girls...I know, I know, don't I EVER stop teaching? No...my Father, Coach Pete Newell taught me that work ethic a long long time ago...it's "my" DNA for sure...

Stay along some more for my "Magical Mystical Tour..."...Best to all, safe travels... Coach tom

January 3, 2008 soaring above 20,000 feet to another Chinese City, Guanzhou, and their local team...our last road trip for the season, and one game to go...at home on Sunday...

Please please forgive me for not being "wired" the last several days on this weblog, as I truly was in a "moody blues" type of funk over my misplaced power cord for the laptop, leaving me with a weak battery (where's the "Bunny" when you need POWER??) and that lasted about as long as Papa Murphy's Pizza in the oven...I finally figured out I left it in the last hotel we we're in...having left it in the room on the desktop outlet...the hotel is sending it to me but I couldn't wait, so I went and picked up a new power cord. and now life is good again: "I'm on..."...So, where to begin? First off, Happy New ALL Year to my Family, Friends, Students, their Parents, Coaches and Officials in Youth Sports today...New Year's in China is a "quiet" celebration, quite distinguishable and separated from the normal universal observance of 95% of countries...There were no firecrackers, fireworks, loud, boisterous, alcohol-induced behavior on the eve of New Year's...My evening began with Larry Stone, Seattle area resident who was visiting for 5 days and taking in the CBA atmosphere that produced two lottery picks and starters in the NBA today...we were accompanied by Babacar Camara, DT and his wife, Rah-Rah...We had a wonderful Buffet-style dinner with a Readymade Chef behind the grill, ready to serve noodles and pasta to any patron wishing something "readymade"...Man oh man, were the Lamb Chops, Scallop Potatoes and Squash an Epicurian delight...Now you're asking me where does one indulge in such a feast (oh yes, an Australian Shirazz to complement my palate's delight)? The ShangraLa Hotel in Coldchun...Then the "next" entree' I chose from was a fresh turkey *** that only Moms and Grandmas "know" how to make the right way during the Holidays...How good was it? I didn't even WANT gravy to go with it...now this "bird" was prepared better than the T Day soaked in wine sauce without feathers prepared bird that we had a while back...To top it off they had a fountain of decdent rich chocolate three tiers high to cover one's vanilla ice cream...IT DID!!

Then after dinner, the fellas and Rah-Rah wanted me to join them at a club in town that is called The Mayflower...I'll put it this way, "my guy" CBerr (former Center, Steve Castleberry) had it right the one time he went there: "a lot of lasers, a lot of smoke, a number of males whose pheromones presented a malordorous fallout anytime they walked by...'' ...all I could think of was that as soon as the clock struck 12, my sneakers were turning into slippers and this cowboy was headin for the barn...Afterall, we did have an early practice the next day and even though we're out of the playoffs, both American players have remained a model of social discipline in getting their rest and being ready for practice on off game days...I would surmise that our two Americans may be the best complement to their Chinese teammates as they have connected well with them, the coaches and of course the Fans and community...I am really proud to speak of them glowingly, especially when I've heard horror stories about other players who have had troubles with their teammates, coaches and administration...This organization has been totally professional, every step of the way, including the owner, Mr. Qu...I have no regrets whatsoever about the early "awe and shock" that hit me and the team when the change was made, more surprised and disappointed in the process of elimination (SunJun) and the addition (asked to stay on as the top assistant to new Head Coach)...I survived, and even though the season as a team was a disappointment, I have learned many new lessons on the cultural differences in teaching the game here in China than I ever would have known without getting my "feet" wet this go around...

Update on last 4 games: lost two on road before Xmas...won one at home day before New Year's Eve, which was our first win in 7 games...whew...then lost a thriller last night by 1...we missed a FT with 5 seconds left in regulation that would have put us into OT...It was by far the BEST EFFORT at both ends of the court for 4 quarters all season...I felt bad for the players afterwards, because they truly did leave it all on the floor this night...Shucks, even Tiger, our backup 2 Guard PLAYED man to man defense in the "new" Year!!! So, we have one more tomorrow night, then home for Sunday's finale, and meetings with organization thereafter, then off to Beijing to be a guest coach at a very famous basketball academy for high school boys and girls, directed by Wang Fei, former National Men's Coach of China and also a famous former CBA player in his own right...After that assignment is completed, Vladivostok, Russia beckons me for the college coaches clinic that I will be directing in conjunction with our State Department and the Minister of Sport and Education in Russia...And finally back to the good ol RED WHITE and BLUE, Family, friends and students, once again doing what I love most: teaching kids how to play the game the right way...

Take care, hope everyone had a safe New Year, and let's believe that a couple of miracles will happen in 2008: the Sonics go nowhere far from the Puget Sound; the Huskies surprise the Pac 10; Coach Willingham is vindicated with a great season in the Fall and my students hard work on the court in the offseason allows them continued success with their respective teams...Now THAT would make me a Happy NEWell Year indeed!! God Bless, safe travels, and again, those kids who have their licenses now, slow down, don't be in hurry anywhere on or off the court, as you are only late when you don't reach your destination SAFELY...much love, Coach tom Less I forget, Larry Stone left this morning for Beijing and then on to Seattle, having enjoyed himself immensely while here in Coldchun City...It was GREAT to have a NW friend visit and bring me up to speed on the sports happenings in our wonderful city...

December 22, 2007...Saturday afternoon...day after another loss...when we shoulda, coulda and woulda won...but during this Holiday weekend, I'm not about to go into THAT...No, I've decided to give you a little Christmas Cheer from Coldchun City, China...

This is a "jingle" I came up with to describe life on the streets here in Changchun...

Jingle Honks

Jingle honks jingle honks jingle all the way...oh what fun it is to sprint through an open 4 wide lanes...hey...jingle honks jingle honks jingle all the way...oh what fun it is today to avoid another car...hey...Dashing through the lanes, on my way across the street...looking left and right, scared beyond all fright...All the cars and Taxis, angle for a lane, never minding walkers whose life is in their wheels, that makes you want to scream ....ohhhh jingle honks jingle honks jingle all the way...oh what fun it is to sprint in a stagger run of cars...hey...jingle honks jingle honks jingle all the way....

Here is my Christmas Wish to all of my basketball Family in North America, Belgium, West Indies, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Belgrade, Canada, Guatemala and China, I truly wish each of you and your Families the warmest and most caring time together this Holiday Season..one that allows reflection and thankfulness for all the many blessings of the previous year in your Family sports life and personal lives...I know that there are those who have suffered the loss of a Family member and/or relative, experienced hardships that are private and sensitive, but through all of your adversity, the most important reflection is that you have each other in your lives today, and that this moment of warm gathering togetherness, is not "wrapped" nor is it consumed, but rather is a "Spiritual" bond that hopefully allows the healing to continue and you may rejoice in the magic of life...God Bless all, safe travels and I sincerely wish each and everyone one of you a Happy New ALL Year...You all have given me so much of your time and kindness in supporting the vision of what FamilySportslifetoday.com wishes to share with you... Thank you...Sincerely, Coach tom...and my "wish" for a Stat sheet may be fulfilled...

Less I forget: we travel on Christmas as the looooooonnnnnnnng road beckons our "choir" for a visit to another Chinese city...I hope to blog to you all on Christmas Eve with words that will make you chuckle and shake your head, remembering that I may be in a strange land and going through an interesting basketball experience, but I still have my sense of humor intact, albeit a "lil different" than most...hah!!!

The Game last night: The Grinch didn't make an appearance per se, nor did he steal anything, we just left the "front door" open again and got beat by a team we defeated a month ago...which means, either the other team got better...OR...we have regressed...the latter, I'm afraid...Once again our "troops" forgot to battle and while the opponent demonstrated skill and verve in our home...Let's put it this way, the game was actually worse than my cough and cold (the nasaliclles melted in the first 2 mins.)...We had plays where a player did a nice crossover from right to left, took a couple of dribbles and then picked the ball up for a moment, and proceeded to dribble again, only to be "given up" to the Officials for his infraction by our fans who gasped in disbelief and allowed the Official to inhale enough air to exhale this infraction...When that happened, I knew immediately we were in for a long night...actually it was looooonnnnnnger than any of us wished: 4 Qtrs...Now I know you think I'm being negative and "down" on our team, but actually what I'm learning here each day and every competition is that we are very unskilled in most positions, beginning with our Point positions, as we continually give up position in the halfcourt allowing the opponents' lead guard to enter the wings with a pass or dribble entry...Probably, for me, the most vulnerable of any offense is an opponent's lead guard going where he wants with the ball...That is when you see coaches on any sideline in organized basketball scratching their heads, when in fact, it's the beginning of a migraine headache...So the remedy most coaches seek is a "timeout" where they can vent their irritations with the Lead Guard and ask the simple question: "Do you think there's a possibility that you MIGHT get up on the ball sometime tonight before you catch a cold on the bench...?"...or something to that effect...I think I told y'all once before I don't look at the score upon leaving the court in a loss, old habits never die...basically taking the approach I'd rather "take a picture" of our players countenance to see whether or not they really were affected by the loss...Enough of our game...Tis YOUR Season to be jolly...fa la la la la la la la la la la...Still waiting for a Stat Sheet...

Okay, so I was very happy on Tuesday night to find out that my gifts home to family and friends have arrived safely and still waiting to hear if the others made it as well...It's not cheap to ship from China as they more than make up for NOT charging in some areas of transportation (Taxis, Buses and Trains) by imposing STRONG fees on International shipping of small to medium boxes...

Here's hoping all in the Northwest, Family, friends, coaches, players, parents, Officials and anyone who reads our blogits to have a wonderful Holiday Season, one filled with many blessings and safe travels throughout the Happy New ALL Year...I just confirmed my clinic in early February to Vladivostok, Russia, where I've been invited to lead a coaches clinic, representing our game to college and high school coaches in that Province of the Eastern seaboard of Russia...Our State Department sent me an Official invitation that was initiated by the Ministry of Education and Sports in Moscow, who in turn received the request from the Vladivostok Basketball Federation requesting my visit...This would NOT be possible if The Larson Legacy, lead by Mr. Lee Larson, himself, of Oregon, did not sponsor this endeavor from the roundtrip flight, and visa fees that Russia charges for any and all foreign visitors...My host, the VBF, will provide the hotel accomodations, hopefully NOT the first hotel we stayed in back in October when our team was playing in a tournament there, and I do remember blogitting about that experience as well...Anyway, kudos to Lee and his non-profit organization for making this happen...I received a very kind email from our State Department's Attache' in Vladivostok, thanking me and The Larson Legacy for our efforts to help this program happen...I've been working on the program syllabus and trying to simplify all of the drills for skills and presentation templates that we will introduce over the 5 days of the clinic...Lee is a former Clackamas Girls Basketball Association coach whom I met several years ago when I was coaching in the WNBA with the now defunct Portland Fire...His model of leadership and keeping drills fun for the kids has been an inspiration to me to this day...He is one of the very very FEW volunteer coaches that I've ever met in my basketball life that "gets it", meaning he KNOWS it's about the kids, not winning at all costs but making the sure the participants have fun in practice LEARNING new drills and also not worrying about the outcome of game as opposed to "did you have fun playing?", questions...His daughter improved from the level of her early experiences with her Dad coaching, to play Freshman basketball in High School one year and then lose interest because it wasn't fun anymore...I have accompanied Lee on a couple of humanitarian trips to Guatemala, making visits to Guatemala City and the Northern Highlands of San Marcos, which is located on a beautiful lake known as Lake Atitlan...Anyway, I have that to keep me positive at this time and of course basketball-busy as wellwith our remaining games...I also will be a guest coach at a camp in Beijing mid January...This came about from an invitation by one of China's most respected former players and fomer National Coach, Wang Fei...He is a GREAT teacher and one of the best coaches I've had the pleasure of meeting in China and the world of basketball in general...He understands the importance of player development, strength and conditioning programs and proper nutrition...his current team Guandong has only been in the CBA for two years, and this is his first season with them and he's done an incredible job to date...His team plays with confidence at both ends of the floor and their overall effort is 2nd to none..he's currently in the middle of the pack and has a chance to surprise everyone and make the playoffs...Good for him and his team...

On another note of personal interest: I am very saddened by the abrupt resignation of my close friend Todd Turner, Athletics Director at the University of Washington...Todd and our families go back over 28 years now, and first met in Charlottesville, Virginia when he was an Associate Athletic Director...His integrity, loyalty and vision for doing things the right way, helped the UW regain the respect and admiration from his colleagues and peers within the infrastructure of the NCAA...He truly loved the campus life environment of the UW complex, and even more so the Student "Dawg" spirit that followed most of the non-revenue sports of intercollegiate athletics at the University...His hardest decision was not renewing Coach June Daugherty's contract last Spring, but he felt that it was time to take the program "up" a notch, and made the decision to bring in Tia Jackson who will in time do very well as the Women's coach there...I wish Todd, Sara and their son, Drew, a fine student athlete himself at Seattle Prep, all the best in their lives, and know that the reunion he and Sara will have with their 3 daughters back East will "ease" the pain of leaving the Northwest...This much I know about today's state of affairs in college athletics: there are expectations that accompany most major universities today across the United States and with that come anticipated celebrations of Championships, but in reality, of the 320 or so Division I schools, not all can compete for a National Championship in Football, though many believe they can, or I should say Alumni organizations hold the belief that they should...I hope that the model of respectability and stability that Todd and his professional Staff put into place over the last 3 years will continue to evolve towards that elusive expectation on the gridiron...Thanks TTodd for a job well done...

We play again tomorrow night against another team we had success with on the road a month ago...Any predictions on my part? Let me put it this way: we're between a rock and hard place, the rock being our arena (the oldest in the CBA with Asbestos insulation) and the "hard place" being the opponent who is in 5th place out of 16 teams and wanting to improve their standing after leaving Changchun with a victory...When a team is eliminated from the playoffs, and you have several games left on your schedule, you try to keep the players positive and focused on being professional in their approach towards preparation and application (competitions), as they ALL are playing for the future: theirs to gain a new contract with the current team or impress another team to consider them for their rosters next season...My last blog I mentioned how important it was for the players to rededicate themselves and "play this season out and finish on a positive note..."...we'll see...The press has been less than kind towards the Head Coach Gao and Mr. Jiang, the General Manager who came in one week before the season started..along with Coach Gao...Happy last minute shopping to all those Fathers out there who dread the pressure of "finding" the right gift for their families...Take care, best wishes, will visit with you again...Coach tom

Oooops...and here I thought I sent this the night before...my bad...my friend, Bob Condotta, a true literary genius and advisor to me from the Seattle Times Sports, told me the most difficult aspect of writing a blog is keeping it "current and fresh..."...Just remember this Dear Friends, y'all like cold pizza and heatin up the Chili the next day right? Okay, so my current blogit is "day old"...Peace on Earth...Enjoy!

December 17, 2007...It's 8 days here before Christmas in China, and I gotta tell you, they are into the commercial "spirit" of Christmas very well...We have lights, trees (plastic, wire, steel, rubber, paper...you name it, they've got it...), Music of ALL the Christian songs BUT instrumental only...you know, you can only "go" so far with the English language...but it stops there, i'm afraid as the store owners and employees really don't understand the true "Spirit" Sante Nicholas and the Birth of Christ, yet if they did, they would celebrate it in a most caring and wonderful Spirit...The Olympics in Beijing this coming summer will either enhance or diminish the opportunity to, worship as a community...This past General Assembly of the People's Republic of China passed a measure (remember that political word: measure) allowing the their citizens the right to worship in a Church...BUT it must be approved by the respective authorities and government for times of service. observances and of course NO OPEN exhibition of faith in Public at anytime...By my "measurement" that's a tremendous step in the right direction as the country becomes more "wired" to the Free World..Think about it: we gave them Windows, they love it and also have pirated it on the streets of Beijing, but this small gift of mankind to his fellow species will have more to the ever-changing culture than I would have ever imagined BEFORE coming to China...Think about it: Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and Bill Gates are the pioneers in accessing one's modalities for learning...Wow...and China has carefully weighed in on this phenomena of Windows (great name, Bill) and VISTA and realize that as powerful as that software may be, WE can have better methods of control over our citizens than at any time before...Meaning, that every major city has at least ONE University that is specifically centered on Technological Research and Development...I happen to live in the largest demographic for such schools...One that has over 26.000 thousand students attending...plus a couple more with less enrollment...Wow, talk about "digressing" here, how'd I come up with Bell, Edison and Gates in the same sentence? I must be SICK!!! Back to hoops Hades...

Last night's game...let's see, HOW do I or HOW can I put that loss in perspective...Hmmm, let me think a minute............................................................Okay, here's how bad it is on the road: there are 3 things I don't like when coaching basketball and sitting on the bench: 1) losing because the effort was lacking...2) unforced turnovers and 3) when the freakin PA puts on Engleburt Humperdinck Elevator music with 9 mins. to play and we're down 30...Geeze Louise, I thought I was on the Columbia Tower Elevator forever goin to heaven listening to that music and having to sit and watch our inept play...We've had 4 blowout losses whereby the PA's put on the most numbthinking music score to keep the people entertained!! Can you believe they ACTUALLY stayed to the END, swaying to and fro in their seats to the music, oblivious to the action before them...I gotta remember that one: when you're beating an opponent baaaad, and it's the 4 Qtr. mid to late, it's important to entertain the masses with soft music so the guests are comfortable as they "ride" this one through to the end...What do we do at home when we're getting slammed? We play WALTZ music or Mitch Miller Big Band Music (Tie a Yellow Ribbon...)...Anyway, maybe I'm being to over dramatic here, but all the same, it's a really painful loss to me when the game devolves into an Elevator music fest and the only thing missing is Robert Goulet as the emcee...Where's my Bombay Sapphire? Oh yeah, I'm drinking Green Tea these days to help with my cold and cough...but a lil Elixir "should" also help now and then, no?

Okay, here is my Christmas Wish to all the little munchkins and "lynchpins" (those who don't like the Sonics and present ownership...)Kids, please reflect upon this past year, your successes and some failures inbetween, know that your parent(s) love, support and careful reminders of making right choices is what makes them so important and special in your life today...please give them a long long hug and the words of "thank you Mom...thank you Dad...thank you Grandma...thank you Grandpa, for your love and support and prayers that I do the right thing always and NOT something not-so-smart that would hurt me, you and my teammates after the fact...This, young friends is the GREATEST gift you can give your parents today: the gift of communication, wrapped with your words, sealed with your lips, for I guarantee you this, your loved ones will be astonishingly amazed that you would take the time to reflect and share with each of them your feelings...THEN, I wish for you to consider the following: visualizing some "genuine act of kindness" towards someone you don't know in your daily life, meaning when you go to the store, hold the door open for the person behind you...when you go to the store and observe an elderly person needing help with their groceries, help them freely and gladly, make them feel wonderful about the youth of today's world: "my oh my, they DO care about us..."...and then of course doing something special for your family or a family member that they would least expect YOU of all people to do...Now THAT in itself is a genuine ACT of KINDNESS...Merry Christmas and many many blessings and safe travels to you all in the New ALL Year, on to the Lynchpins: I share with you your ill thoughts whenever the subject of the Sonics moving to OKCity comes up, but I want you to seriously,consider this "genuine" act of kindness the next time you go to a Sonics game> thank the Ushers for their assistance, the Sonics staff members who have been so faithful to stay the course of the franchise at this time, and continue to support this young team, at several have homes here and we definitely would want them to always remember the GREAT spirit of the Northwest when their careers are completed...and lastly, along the same lines of being 'kind' towards the Sonics, please express your love and support with a "Happy You're Here Seattle Storm" card, they are a wonderful model for young aspiring participants who play basketball in Washington State...

Update on the Team upon return to Changchun last night...we had a team meeting following our return from the recent two game trip...We watched our first game vs. Shanghai Sharks, a memorable win in that we came from behind 14 points to win on the road, an improbable win...it was the first time we've WATCHED ourselves play AFTER the fact...I know, I know, hard to believe but it's his team and he wants to do his preparations from what he knows, obviously not from what he can learn...We'll see tomorrow night how this meeting and reflection turns out for us...fingers and toes crossed for this one...a little prayer too!! After the meeting was concluded at 8:30pm after one hour together...I then sat down alone with Coach Gao (Pancake, the translator also), and asked him if we could make an attainable end-of- season Team Goals list that would allow us to achieve some satisfaction for finishing on a positive...He was curious as to how that may be introduced, and I explained: "since we're basically eliminated from the playoffs we need to rededicate ourselves individually and as a team, meaning that we need to focus on each game by quarter, limiting the opponents to 25 points or less each quarter; reduce our "quarterly" turnovers to no more than 12 per game; that we as a TEAM will value possession of the ball when we have it in our hands and NOT try to create plays when the simple application calls for execution; that we will try to EACH get 3 rebounds or more when we have the opportunity to play; that we put aside our personal goals oriented towards "game bonuses" when we win, to know that winning as a Team is more important than a couple hundred dollars for "winning" individual statistics; and that as a Team everyone succeeds..."...He looked at me, then Pancake and nodded, not saying much but understanding clearly that this "thinking" was beyond anything he ever imagined or considered...Then there was a knock on his door, and Pancake opens it to allow the Owner, Mr. Qu, to enter...Unbeknownst to me at the time, there was this "summit" meeting and he arrived to speak with the Head Coach, and was surprised to see me, but happy also...He asked me to stay, and participate in this meeting if I wouldn't mind...I obliged and we had an hour and a half visit...I basically told him that we have players on this team who are only motivated by their minutes played and statistics that favor their contributions WHEN we win...Right now the team is in conflict (Chinese Team Members) because of their loyalty to the previous GM and former teammate of theirs, SunJun, the Larry Bird of Chinese basketball...Remember when 5 players chose to "strike" when the new GM replaced SunJun? Well, the first thing he did was change the contracts of the players and their bonus structure, setting off a negative reaction 3 days before our first game...So I explain that when a Team 'in season' has off court distractions, such as the media calling for the return of SunJun and the management group and Head Coach to be replaced, well their was a wound that never healed and when we win on occasion it is only a bandaide to the real deep wounds that began in October...I shared with him that this team has 4-5 players who can't play at this level now, and that IF changes aren't made in the offseason with some of them, then he (the Owner) will be having this discussion again with his coach and GM...He asked me what is the biggest problem? I said the chemistry is bad and was BEFORE he bought the rights to the team (an owner doesn't "own" the team, rather "owns" the rights to the team for X amount of years and then it returns to the local government administration)...He narrowed his eyes, and his face changed remarkably because he realized that this American coach that he brought in originally to coach the team was telling him what the Head Coach has been trying to explain to him all season: these players play for themselves NOT for the Team or the Fans...He asked me what could be done now to 'change' this problem, and I said that in America, an NBA Owner and GM would sit down with the team and address the issues face to face, telling what it is that he sees on the court and how bad the results have been at home...All the while Coach Gao is nodding to the translation by Pancake, and I'm thinking to myself, "wow, he understands the need for his presence and leadership at this time..."...He doesn't say anything to my suggestion, other than he was now going to "cancel" a team dinner that he was going to provide tonight for the team...In other words, I "connected" with him, and he was now going to address his "investment" Team at some point before tomorrow night's game...Coach Gao then followed up with the problems between a couple of players that's been ongoing ONCOURT and that talking to them both has not made any impact at all...The owner then pulls out his cellphone to share a text message that he had received from his wife on Sunday night WHILE watching our debacle on national television...Yikes!! Not only is he getting killed by the local Press but now HIS WIFE is giving him methane particles to hear and read!! Wow, now I know this is serious business...After that demonstration of "you think you've got it bad...", the meeting abruptly ends, Mr. Qu, hugs me goodbye and walks out the door...I look at Pancake, whose countenance is like a young man walking in on summit meeting between his Leader and mine...He said later he's never been in this type of translation/situation before...Told him he "done good", go to sleep! Coach Gao says goodnight to me also, and I take a Taxi back to my hotel (the Team stays in a different hotel than the Americans)...Fast forward to Tuesday night's practice: we arrive at our facility and instead of going to the weight room, we head for the dormitories that the players live in for 4-5 months at a time, and there we go into a meeting room...Hmmmm, I say to myself, maybe the GM is meeting with us, as Pancake has NO clue what is going on (he hears very little on the inside), and then a couple of minutes later, here walks in Mr. Qu and Mr. Jiang, GM...Let me tell you this: this Owner "gets it", really, he took the information from the coach and myself and of course the GM and slept on it and now wanted to address his Team...He was magnificent...he spoke from his heart and it was very positive-constructive towards putting the issues behind us and also the indifferences we may have towards one another and all the bad, negative publicity that has been written of late...All he pleaded for was an HONEST effort by all, for their self pride, their family's, the City of Changchun and of course the Fans...What an experience, mostly positive, believe me, please, to witness adversity firsthand in a foreign culture, being on a basketball Staff as an assistant, having a translator speak twice in all things related to everyday basketball life between Americans and the Chinese coaches and players, well it's been intriguing and exciting at the same time...The 'only' downers are two: missing my Family at Christmas time and our inability to play intelligent basketball this season...I'll blog tomorrow's outcome for you...take care...God Bless...Coach tom

December 16, 2007 on the road again for our 2nd of two road games...We play one of the top two teams this afternoon on TV, which means we may get a fair and regulated game decided by skill and execution...Right now, the morale of the team is at its lowest after a disappointing loss to Guandong on Friday night...That followed our loss to the Urumqui team at home on Wednesday...Our team is in total disarray as the "system" of bonuses for minutes played, points scored, rebounds, assists, blocks is all predicated upon our ability to win...We had a 6 point lead vs. Guandong on Friday night, early on in the 2nd quarter, only to succumb to our selfish, individual play on defense...My whole point of defense here with this team in the role that I currently represent is that we communicate and matchup with whomever is nearest the ball, forget about where YOUR MAN is, just matchup...Well we made a couple of substitutions and a couple of players decided when the opportunity arose to "score" on their own, our lead evaporated into a 16-2 run that has us reeling to halftime, down by 11 when it was over...We gave up in a matter of 6 mins. 5...yes 5 3 point shots because we didn't matchup and follow the pre game instructions on our TEAM responsibilities...It was so disappointing to have to sit there with a headache already, from a bad cold I picked up from one of our assistant coaches (and I'll tell you how THAT happen later), and to witness the selfish play of a couple of players whose roles are to execute the offense, NOT create 1 on 1 plays for themselves...The GM, whom I have grown to like alot, was so upset after the game, I even UNDERSTOOD his voice inflections and found myself nodding to every word he spoke to the team in our locker room...He was so discouraged by our selfishness and lack of overall effort when we faced adversity...Let me say this, when grown young men live together in a dormitory environment, coupled with contracts that are laced with individual achievements as well as team when we win, it makes for a less-than-trust team environment that soon erodes any principle elements of respect and trust for one another on and off the court...The subplots that exist on this team are real, folks, and yet when we do rarely pull off a win every other week, it seems that everything is honkeedoree, but in reality, it's just a bandaide to the wound that never heals...Parents, listen to me, please, don't get caught up into productivity with your sons and daughters experience with their teams, as it will become a burden if you ask the following questions: "Why don't you shoot more...? Why doesn't the coach run plays for you...? Why don't you play more...? Why aren't you playing such and such position...?"...All these questions are answers that MOST young aspiring Team Players can't answer because they don't know why, meaning that it will create more doubt in the young person's mind as he/she practices daily and suits up for the competitions...Is it easy for me to say this? Yes, indeed it is, because I'm older than most of the Fathers out there with kids playing middle school and high school basketball today...Your greatest reward and gift to your child in their activity is to always praise their efforts and discipline towards trying to be the best Team Player they can with the skills they are developing at this time...Sorry for the "preaching" here, but I am relearning lessons here, in a faraway land that evokes reflections and observations that must be shared with friends, coaches, players and families...

How I caught the "cold" Round II: Let me put it this way...If I didn't blowdry my hair, yes I do have hair on the "backside" of my scalp, Coach Chiang in the last game filled the "role" perfectly...He's had a bad bad two weeks of coughing, sneezing ect., and I have been trying to avoid him at all costs, except that he sits on the bench next to me and that makes me vulnerable as you can imagine...Anyway, at our last home game, he coughed incessantly, on the back of my head, so much so with velocity, that my hair was actually "blowin in the wind"!! He NEVER covered up once, just turned his head, leaned back and glory, I WAS THE CATCHER!! Needless to say, he's a team player as he passed it on to me and for the last 4 days my voice is many decibels removed from authority on helping the players to get up on the wings and push the ball to the sideline/baseline on dribble drives...I've been drinking so much green tea, I think I will be able to understand every Chinese word spoken to me at the end of this campaign...

Okay, now some good ol "Tomfucious" observations on how our players might get better for next season...First off, I think that if the Chinese players took 5 weeks of TAXI driving school in Changchun City, they would all improve their vision, anticipation and READ situations better than they do now...Meaning, that if you ever want to learn how to drive with the "flow" and then some in traffic everyday, watch how Taxi drivers maneuver and wind thru the most difficult traffic jams known to modern traffic in a large city...I mean it's a wonder of the driving world to sit and TRUST that this driver in a small compact car can NOT get hit, or hit another vehicle on his destination...Our players vision is poor in traffic on the court (one of the main reasons for our turnovers) and their anticipation of switches and THEN reading how they can now pass the ball inside to the Post Player who now has a small man guarding him is another example of poor READing while playing...Just a newell thought here on "how" these players may improve their vision...Visualize this: there are 3 lanes both ways on most of the busy streets, yet because of the thousands of TAXIS on the road, they stretch this number into 5 lanes!! Really...no ONE drives inbetween the dotted lines of a lane...This is the norm in most major cities in China...Now, couple that with bicycles, motorcycles, pedestrians jaywalking and STANDING STILL on these lines means that everyone driving a vehicle MUST shift their direction left to right or vice versa...I've yet to see a pedestrian hit crossing the street illegally here...Note to any Policeman from the US visiting China: You will have nightmares thinking about the number of tickets you could write to anyone at anytime for EVERY DOT (Dept.ofTrans.) violation you observe...When I cross the street "illegally", it's usually because the oncoming cars are 20 secs. from impact upon my crosswalk, and I have a pretty good "first, second, third and sprint step" across the street...So much for off court player development...

I will be blogging my Christmas wishes to everyone tomorrow, so I hope you'll come back and read some more...I gotta go now, my hack is reminding me I NEED some green tea...Best wishes and safe travels to all...Coach tom

December 11, 2007...Yunnan City, southern China...this is a remote area of China that is known as the "Carolina Tobacco Country of China..."...and let me tell you something this city is literally surrounded by farms, every kind of farm you can think of...It's beautiful, but you feel like you're encroaching upon this fertile valley when you look out of the tallest building in the city from the 10th floor of our hotel...Weather is in the 60's...no skeeters got me this time...I came prepared...I finally got "wise" and asked, Pancake, my translator: "is this a warm climate or cold climate we're headed towards...?"...he prepared me well...

On to the game...WOW...that's all I've got to say...WOW...DTate, 6'5" 2G/SF put on an offensive show last night that I've only seen one other time, and that was the 58 points Dale Ellis got vs. Milwuakee at Milwaukee back in the day ('88-'89 I think) in overtime...DTate's performance was beyond spectacular, he sensed early on that they could not match up on his quick first step and acceleration to basket on one dribble...he had 25 at halftime, and that was after he only played 18 of 24 mins. DTate drove and drove and twisted and turned and drew fouls and missed his 5 3's in game, meaning he ONLY missed one shot inside the 3pt. arc...now I don't know about you, but if I'm an NBA scout, GM or Player Personnel Director, I'm all over this kid, as he is demonstrating all too well that he's ready for his "one" shot at the next level...He's a nondescript small college player whose passion for the game supercedes his character and respect of others off the court...He is genuinely one of the best offensive players that I've ever worked with...His defense when he first showed up was an "ad" in the Lost and Found section of a newspaper...He has gotten better every week, and now KNOWS when he is out of position and makes poor judgment fouls: reaching in, off balance jabs at ball on dribbles and forgetting to block out first...BUT...he now looks at me and nods, knowing all too well that I was about to remind him where the "sun don't shine..."...He is by far the best American player in the CBA this season...he is a cross athletically between Wilkins of Seattle, Bowen of San Antone and Raja Bell of Phoenix...yeah, all those athletic combos, but none of the aforementioned have his offensive prowess and know-how to get to the basket and SCORE like DTate...WOW...You want to talk about class, here it is...He's at 68 points with 1:40 to go in game and I mention to our coach that it would be good to take him out of game now, out of respect to SunJun, the former GM who brought me and DTate over here 3 months ago, before he was deposed...You see, SunJun is the only player in the history of the CBA to score 70 points in a game and I really didn't think it was right for DaJuan to break that record when we were up 11 with little time left...The coach actually listened to me, glory, and subbed him out to the sidelines to the smiles and backslaps of his Chinese teammates and next to me on the bench..."D, I told Coach to take you out...out of respect to SunJun, because it's only right that he remains the legend of his country's league...you're only going to be here one season and then a distant memory, SunJun lives here and breathes Chinese basketball..."...DaJuan looked at me, nodded and said "coach, SunJun told me to break his record...I was going to, but then again thought about it and said to myself, nah, I don't need to do that...he gave me my first chance at Pro Ball here and I'm happy for the experience..."...Whew, I said to myself, I'd hate to think that he wanted to score 71 and didn't because I waxed sentimental over a National icon...Get this, our coach PUTS DTate BACK INTO GAME with 45 secs. to play because the other team cut the lead to 8 with that much time left...Tate winks at me and says, "Coach, don't worry, I ain't even goin to be near the ball..." And he wasn't...He now holds the All Time Single Game record for a Foreign Player in the CBA...When he was told that by the GM and Assistant Coach YoYo, DTate was ecstatic...Folks, I gotta tell you something, he's the kind of person, player and teammate you wish you could have your family around, teach and coach and be on his team, respectively...THAT GOOD...Okay, gotta get on 3 hour bus ride to the airport for another 6 hours on a plane, two connections, making it a 12 hours day again...But when you win again on the road, it's pure joy to travel...We now have 4 wins on the road, more than any team in the league presently, or so I'm told...we're two games out of the win column for the last playoff spot with 16 games to go...light a candle...We play at home on Wednesday and again on Friday...if we bring our road mindset to these home games, we'll do just fine...Stay tooned...Hello to Larry Stone, the gentleman who constructed our platforms back in June of this year for the 11' Exposition Game at Hec Ed...Also, best wishes to Dorothy Harshman, who has had a rough go of late, being hospitalized over the last several weeks...she is the wife of Coach Marv...wonderful basketball woman she is...Her son, David, was a coach over last season and did a GREAT job working with Post players, both Junior and Men's level players...Also Shout Outs to Eastside Catholic, Newport High, Mount Si, and Inglemoor HIgh school Varsity and JV teams, AND of course Kentwood, home of Lindsey Moore and Teddi McGuire, two outstanding student athletes on the Girls team there, as well Josh Smith, the 6'9" Post player whose developing skills and careful mentoring from his wonderful parents will make people marvel at this young man's brilliant future...God Bless all...Coach tom

10:30pm, RedBuds Hotel, Changchun City...we made it safely and hungry...you just can't depend on Airport food to be the best meal of the day...so I'm warming up the water to have some good old "Top Ramen"like, but better noodles...Good day...

I know I know, "where the heck have you been, Tom?..."...Let me say this: I don't like to write repetitive accounts on this blog that reflect the myriad ways on how to LOSE a freakin basketball game...I gotta have some "Good Humor Juice" flowin in order to provide y'all with some fun stuff to read and be amused by my ongoing experiences...So, guess what? WE WON!! 109-88 at home vs. a team that beat us by 17 at their place...We had been on a 4 game losing skein and that wasn't a lot of fun, let me tell you...For one, our coach has this incessant behavior that the "more meetings" the better we will play...Wrong...just the opposite...The Chinese players are not easily attentive towards ANY dialogue, good or bad that discusses the game...Why? Mainly because they practice for eight months, then play in the CBA League for 3 and a half months, and MAYBE, just MAYBE two weeks separation from the team and teammates...Get the BIG PICTURE here? Especially when a team is on a multiple game losing streak (4 up to last night's salvation)...How to describe our last two losses before last night's victory: one on the road was an aberration, so much so, I can't even remember the score other than it was ugleeeeeeee to the end, as D Tate, 6'5" G/F got back spasms 3 mins. into the game off the bench and he had already scored 5 points...Imagine a Goodyear blimp getting a large hole in the nose of the craft...yep, it's in deep doo doo as it nosedives down, losing it's helium and power...Losing D Tate is like that with this team...This young player has the God-given skills and discipline, on and off the court to have a "shot" at the League next year...Pat Riley, Don Nelson, Pop in San Antone, PJ and Nate Mac would love this kid's natural talent and skills...He has come so far in his on ball and off ball defense, and yet, still has much room for improvement, BUT WANTS to be told what he's doing wrong, what he should be doing and how can "I get better, Coach" questions...Wow...been a long long time since I've been asked that question...Anyway, our next game is versus the Muslim city team Urumqui (phonetic-based spelling)...This young man is SO eager to improve his game, he wants to come to Seattle in preparation for an NBA tryout next summer...Let's see, that makes 3 of the players from the States who wish to visit me and train for a week at the UW or Seattle U., this is what is called being a "student" of the game: seeking a mentor/teacher that will build one's knowledge and confidence to succeed in any organized environment related to the game...I'm going to have quite a "cast" of characters and players this Spring/Summer...What fun my 'other' students will have when training with these professionals...I can hardly wait for Connor Witt, Richard Woodworth, Jeff Rerucha, Nile Kramer, Ian Gordon, Tanner and Tyson Riley, Lindsey Moore, Teddy McGuire Alyson Stone, Jordan Dalingstad, Josh and J-Mon Smith join my crew from China for our workouts...Man, are we going to have some fun THIS YEAR...my young students here in China are going to be such incredible additions to our workouts, that even Bobby Jones will be excited to join us again, and Ryan Rourke and Eric Sandarin also...Folks, I am having more fun teaching and coaching now than I've ever had before, and you KNOW I always HAVE FUN when I do "my thing" on the floor...Back to the games at hand...so, meetings, dialogues, translations, boredom and mindwanderings aside, we came home to play that Muslim city team, a good one at that, Top 4 in league presently, and Tate is so so for a nod to suit up and play...He received acupuncture from our Team Trainer and STEM hookups (you know, the electric stimulation patches) and was ready to go...We had the game in our hands, literally until we turned the ball over like Santa giving presents at Macy's...EVERY time we turn the ball over in consecutive fashion,I say fashion because our turnovers seem to be a "Runway Model on how to Turn the Ball Over Uniquely...", and we go from being up by 7 with ball to being up only 1 by the end of the 1st. Qtr...18-17...we were playing Defense as a Team so well it was exciting to me to witness and be a part of...UNTIL...we had to initiate our offense at the other end...Our offense at this point in the season is between a "Stillborn Orangutan and baked Cupcakes that come out of the oven flat as a cookie...Got the picture? So, we go into the 2nd Qtr., in a fog that made me wonder if the "energy" drink that these players drink religiously during timeouts, perhaps was spiked with some brown bag MogenDavid, 'cause the only thing that seem to take them out this stupor was the "fog horn" of the scorer's table stopping action to allow a substitution...I gotta interject something here that ALL coaches wish they could do under similar circumstances: call for a Heavenly intervention whereby there is a power outage and the game is delayed OR the scoreboard, clock and the "pea" in the Officials' whistles doesn't work AT ALL, and we retreat to a neutral zone where it doesn't matter whether or not there is light to SEE the players when you speak to them about how bad they are playing on offense out there...If I were taking Rogaine during this campaign, I would NOT be their Poster Generian (newellism word for someone older than 59)!!! I mean, here I am sitting on the bench and thinking about how to change the game completely: you know, have a league where you get POINTS for STOPS on defense and they are worth more than putting the friggin ball through a cylinder...yeah, NOW do you understand the metaphor/analogy of the aforementioned Animal Kingdom and Bakery itesm? Think about it...In wrestling you get points for takedowns, and smooth defensive counters...the same is true for boxing...I know I know, you're wondering now if I've been drinking from the "Brown Bag" to come up with THAT scenario in basketball...This much I know: the next Head Coach job I have, I am going to meet the Electrician, Mechanical Engineer and whoever else that controls the "switch" and tell them if they "see" the same things I do with our team at home, to PLEEEEEEASE pull the plug so we can quietly retire to a dark room and talk about life, Chinese traffic Pac Man, noodles and how cold the weather is outside, THEN talk about why we're here tonight...Hopefully this "mental pause" will resurrect our desires and memory bank to play the game at BOTH ENDS...Just a passing thought...Anyway, on to the rest of the game story here...We go down 7 at half, turned the ball over 11 times already that lead to 12 unanswered fast break points (note: when we turn the ball over, we stand there in disbelief and FROWN...kinda like a 4 yr. old boy whose older brother takes his Fudgesicle away from him and eats it...), not making any valiant/gallant effort in transition to thwart the miscarry on our part...Gimme me another shot from the Brown Bag please...We come out the 2nd half, fired up, forcing the other team into 5 turnovers in 8 possessions...Right?....BUT we in turnover "fashion" provide our own bakery products, all different pastries, but the same freakin TURNOVERS...so we go down 12, take a timeout, get it together, I stay positive about STOPS on defense, and coach is talking about offense, always something different in our sets, never the same...We force two consecutive turnovers, score in transition, and then they miss 3 more shots and now we're only down 3, 54-51 with 6:56 left in the 3rd Qtr...We have BIG MO goin our way at home now, fans are into the game, players are alert, we're playin to win now...and the other team takes a Timeout...So what do we do? Substitute our Point Guard "Pops" out of the game and rotate in a 19yr. old inexperienced PG, whom has not played a minute in 3 weeks, hasn't traveled on the road with us either, and HE is now playing at this point in the game...Gimme the whole damn BROWN BAG now please...I'll put it this way, the STOP sign on Defense became the Ole' "would you like to start your offense on this side of the court or the other Sir...?"...and when this rookie was finally taken out, mercifully I might add, with 4 mins. to play in the 4th Qtr., and the score 88-69, THEM, we all were shocked, founddumbforsure, and discouraged, we could hardly wait to end this death march and go home...err, to our rooms...After the game, the coach never said a word, because HE KNEW what everyone was thinking, and was too embarrassed to say anything...Am I throwing this cat under the bus? Nah, he "jumped" in front of the bus a long time ago...I'm just an attendant in the ambulance making sure the "siren" works as we slowly drive to the Hospital...THEN the next day, nothing is mentioned about the game, BUT there were words about the Journalists stories on our team that the coach spoke incessantly about over and over again: "don't worry about the press...don't listen to what they say (I thought they wrote...), we must overcome our burdens and play better at home, our defense in the 4th Qtr. was not as good as OUR DEFENSE in the first 3 and a half...No foolin Sherlock...Arrrrrrgh...Coach Woods, we HAD STOPS that were right out of your Disruptive Pressure Defense book...you'd a been proud of this collective effort until the 6:56 mark in the 3rd Qtr...

Last night's game: WE WON...WE WON...I know I am repeating myself here, forgive me, it's just that it's been so long since I was able to share with family and friends: "WE WON!!"...Our collective defense and applications at both ends were astonishingly consistent and fun to watch...From start to finish, we played the game the right way...We forced them into 26 turnovers...bad shot selections...and transition hoops for us at the other end...We also had a season HIGH 24 assists...in one game...48 mins...usually we have MAYBE 9-10 assists total...yeah, I know, hard to believe...but true...Now, about this game and a life lesson here for young coaches who read my blogits...There is a "cardinal rule" in universal basketball that all coaches must observe, reserve and preserve...and that is: NEVER EVER take a timeout with under 3mins. to go unless there is an injury, you're just trying to substitute a reserve into the game for a regular, etc., or another game emergency situation otherwise this is considered a "cardinal sin...", but then again, there is no sin in China, right, how would this coach know "sin" in basketball? Anyway, he calls a 20 second timeout, much to my and the other Americans on the floor amazement and question, and proceeds to draw up a PLAY...??? I can't believe it...can YOU?? Play resumes, time runs out, we don't get the shot off and now I am going down towards the Visitors Bench to shake the Foreign coach's hand (we have mutual acquaintances in Belgrade, Serbia, where he's from), and he has this look upon his face that resembles someone who went out the front door to get the morning newspaper and the neighbor's dog dumped a "footlong" on the walkway and he didn't see it...steps barefoot in it...,and says to me: "Coach tom, why did he call a Timeout when you are up 20...doesn't he know that a coach NEVER embarrasses the other team and coach at home doing this...?"...I tell him I don't know, and yes, we shouldn't have done this, I apologize, and then I say "maybe it's because we haven't won in so long and he wanted to keep playing....?...We both laughed at that, hugged and wished one another well...oh for the humor in war between foes...Spirits were lifted once again in our locker room after the game...what a relief it was to see how well we can celebrate our hard fought victories, however few they have been so far...By the way, D Tate had 35 pts. and showed no ill effects of his previous back spasms that kept him less than average the previous two games...He plays with heart and soul, meaning that he plays hurt very well, and our Team Trainer, "Doc", a "Master in Acupuncture", did his professional best to get DT ready for last night's game...I encourage parents of kids in youth sports: check out Dr. Bob Greczanik, Sports Acupuncturist, Bellevue, if your son or daughter EVER has a problem with a sports related injury and the alternative at hand is Anti-inflammatory meds...I am DOWN on kids taking these prescriptions and will go toe to toe with any "Doc" on the so called "merits" of these medications...A child SHOULD NEVER be given a prescription for a sports injury that could affect their organs later, and by that I mean this: 90% of kids today, ages 8-18 do NOT EAT properly, meaning that when they are told to "eat BEFORE taking medication. drink liquids", (water, NOT soda pops), they ignore that on their own (at school, taking meds anyway, maybe NOT even eating lunch prior to time order of prescription)...So, as a Parent, you need to Google anti-inflammatory meds and read up on the post effects of same on the body...I speak from seeing so many former Pro athletes, basketball, football, baseball walk with arthritic conditions now, some in their 40s, others older, all former "under care" of prescribed anti-inflammatory meds...Boy, I know if someone wants to take issue with me here, I'll raise a few eyebrows...good, at least I'm suggesting a positive alternative to orals...

On the road again this morning, December 8, 2007...early morning flight...coaches and players are upbeat, good sign...tired and hungry I'm sure, as they will always sacrifice appetite for more rest...go figure...Anyway, we're headed to Yunnan area (Southern) of China...Short trip: 6 hours on plane, then 3 hours on bus all today and a game tomorrow night, then same return trip home on Monday, and game on Wednesday...Ain't life grand!?!...We beat this team for our first win last month...hopefully we can do it again, as our defense has improved demonstratively since then...Fingers are crossed that our coach will NOT have practice when we get in, rather just a meeting, watch some film, and get some food and rest tonight...usually what he does is has us dress down for a two hour practice, or one hour and weights one hour, then go back for two hours, eat, then have a meeting at 7:30 for an hour, watching film and hearing his dissertation on life as a basketball player in the CBA, then back to our rooms for the night...Monotonous? Nah, nutz, yes...These players need rest #1, not shooting baskets, jumping up and down in a scrimmage full court, or doing a 3 man fast break drill...we need fresh legs...I share this with him regularly and feel like I'm one of the detainees in Guantanamo...deaf ears...If he would just listen to experience now and then, his words of "wisdom" might be received better in the BIG PICTURE...I will say this: George Irvine, Indiana Pacers, Bernie Bickerstaff, Sonics, and Bill Fitch, Nets had more sensitivity towards "reading" players body language and 'LISTENING' to their Trainers, they should all be teaching coaches worldwide with this genuine "feel" for the game and their team...I learned so much from each of them over the years...it's a true gift, and they "had it"...

Okay, battery is low on the laptop, we're about to land in a half hour and I need a break from my fingertip touches...geeeze, I don' know how people with long nails do this so well...I know I promised my "musings" on life as I know it here in China...I will try to enter this tomorrow...in the meantime, hope you enjoyed this latest "catchup" and wish everyone good health, an act of kindness towards someone you don't know, and that your families are well and happy....God Bless...Coach tom

UPDATE on Bus Ride to Yunnan: beautiful Flintstone (at least that what it appears to me to look like) monoliths rising up from the ground like petrified tree trunks...There was one visual that stood out on this sortie, and that was off in the distance was the LARGEST GOLD Buddha that sat upon a hill overlooking the farmland below, with a path that lead from the Temple to this "wonder"...Incredible sight...The three hour ride here was an incredible assortment of new development mixed with old clay/straw one door shanties...I will say this: if the Farmers of China ever decided to NOT farm, this country would be in a world of hurt...Big Time...I mean the land is so red rich soil that you could plant your old kids shoes and they'd probably grow an inch or two in a year!! Anyway, observing couples working together on small plots, hands and knees cushioned by the tender soil, you really appreciate the time, effort and discipline of these quiet people, doing what millions of generations did before them throughout their country...One other notable observation: there were hundreds of white shrines scattered throughout the countryside, very very old, yet you sensed that this was a family tradition, a reminder of the farmer who raised his family and their children also for many years...Quite a sight if you can imagine...the shrines were mostly similar with about a 7' arc with columns and a tombstone...First time I've seen ANY gravesites in China...Did I tell you that you probably won't see Hearses or Mortuaries in any large Chinese city, let alone graveyards... Cremation is a strong belief in their Creation...Practice? NO!!! Coach says to me that we will watch video since the trip was so long (12 hours) and we need rest...He's learning, slowly but surely...Good for him...he's a nice person, no question...Alright, I'm off to bed, watching on Chinese television the Rockets vs. Nets in New Jersey...This Chinese station will televise at least 120 games this season: FREE to the Chinese nation...Guess where the "next" cash cow in the NBA is spawned? You got it...

December 1, 2007...1:15am Saturday morning...the title says it all, the score confirms it: 105-98 or something like that, still can't get a stat sheet...go figure...This loss was NOT because the players didn't play hard or want to win: we were outcoached tonight...I'm being honest as I possibly can be here...We didn't make the necessary adjustments in the 2nd Qtr. like we should have and the outcome was predictable by the end of the 3rd. Qtr...I ain't goin 'there' in regards to Coach Gao...I respect him and believe he wants the best in each player, BUT, his inexperience technically shows in games like these...it's too bad, 'cause we had a chance to make an adjustment...good thing I chew gum to keep my mouth shut after suggestions...

Okay, we're on the road again in 4 hours..play Sunday evening, home Monday night, then we have 3 straight home games...hopefully we can begin the 2nd half of the season on a positive...we have 9 games at home this go round...we'll see what happens...Folks, I am feelin this one deep down, only because as coaches we always want to put our players in a position to succeed and NOT fail...we did just the opposite, I'm afraid...hopefully we'll ALL learn from this...you know: "lessons learned is hopefully knowledge gained..."...I want to bring everyone up to speed on the cultural experiences to date, so this weekend will be a treat for all...good stuff atextin your way...Coach tom...

November 30th, Wednesday evening Post Game Thoughts and Whatevers...We lost a really tough one tonight, friends...How tough? 100-99!! On the road in Beijing, no less, and we played our hearts and left it ALL on the court...It was a really tough loss when you consider we went up 3 with the ball,less than 1:50 left in game, and a "phantom" call is made on a reception baseline in front of our bench, "stepped out of bounds before catching pass", was the call on Wong Bo, our best Chinese player and National Team member...Let me tell you this, I watched Wong Bo come from one side of the court to the other and no one was guarding him in their Zone defense on this particular play, and he spots up in the corner, gets a perfect pass from the guard, and squares up (front turns INSIDE the 3 point line), drawing the defense and all of 2 FULL seconds goes off clock on his jab step and then the "whistle blows...Now you gotta let me "vent" here a little bit: this was what is called a "bulldeposit" call if there was ever one to be made...I mean OUT OF NOWHERE was this call made...If they review Officials games here, and I'm not sure they do, this cat is going to lose the "pea" in his whistle 'cause he made that one up...Anyway, we had the ball with 6 seconds to go at halfcourt, and inbound to D Tate, who jab steps and crossover dribbles right by the perimeter defender and I'm thinkin "yeah, he's got a wide open mid range jumper for sure, BUT, instead he takes another dribble and goes for the hoop on a drive, facing 7' Michael Fey, former Washington state (Tacoma, I believe) high school phenom who went to UCLA and got lost in Westwood for 4 years as they went through 2 coaches...So, DT stops, up fakes and there's contact but not enough to draw the foul and his shot gets blocked to another teammate, Cash, who then with .08 on the clock shoots a short corner jumper only to have it hit the side of the basket and the game is over...Now I gotta tell you something, I don't need to run laps around a track, swim for an hour, or ride a stationary bike for 45 mins. to get my "cardio" in order and burn calories...This game tonight took off a comfortable 6,000 I'm sure...It was that exciting...We played defense aggressively and consistently well, made crucial stops when needed and we all were on the same page UNTIL...the new GM comes off the end of the bench early in the 4th qtr. to go off on an Official's call and gets whistled for a "T"...this mind you when we're only down 5...the guy hits 2 FTs then they get the ball out of bounds and proceed to score another field goal meaning that we have given up 4 pts. with NO time off the clock and now down 9 with the ball...THAT hurt obviously, as the outcome of the game indicates...The team to a man and the staff as well, we're disappointed and "knew" that "we wuz robbed..." but they shrugged their shoulders and tell me: "Coach, this is the CBA, these things happen like this..."...All I can say is that the Chinese are a lot better getting over disappointing losses than any high school, college and NBA coach and team I've ever been around...I told the fellas that I was so proud of their "Warrior spirit and best effort tonight, that we played team defense as well as we ever have and that IF we continue to work together and help one another on defense, we will not be disappointed at season's end..."...And I mean that! Okay, we just finished a team dinner...It was very good, nothing distasteful or bitter to complement the feelings we had after a very tough loss...We leave for Changchun City, where I'm living now, in about 5 hours...it's a two hour flight and hopefully we'll NOT have any practice as the fellas don't NEED to get on the court, rather they need REST and RECUPERATION...DT pulled his hammy again, YET PLAYED his "posterior" off like you wouldn't believe...This young man has a chance to perhaps play in the NBA someday, folks, as he continues to improve his overall game at both ends...After reflecting upon his last move in the game with the ball, he honestly felt that he should have "pulled up and taken the jumper, but it was a clear lane to the hoop and I thought I could get there, finish and draw a foul..."...I love his courage and willingness to go strong at the end...He's a cross between Raja Bell of the Suns, and Bruce Bowen of the Spurs...You might hear about him someday as a "unknown" who played overseas and came back to the League...I hope so, he's a wonderful person to work with and I really love his energy...he has NO FEAR whatsoever when he plays...100% full out...my kind of Team Player...

Okay, enuff of that...I'm tired, disappointed but happy with the effort of tonight's game...We played well enough to win...Lessons learned hopefully, is knowledge gained...Good night, blog to y'all soon enough...Thanks for caring and wondering how life is in China...Take care, safe travels to all...Coach tom

November 26, 2007...Monday afternoon...We're all smiling in Beijing...120-99...yes, ONE HUNDRED and 20 points in ONE GAME by the Jilin Northeast Tigers last night...We came out focused and made one huge adjustment on offense that set the tone for the game and eliminated all tentativeness on the part of guard play by having Wong Bo, Power Forward, play Point Forward for us this game...He had an outstanding floor game: 11 points...8 rebounds...8 assists...1 turnover...We had 6 players in double figures with D Tate leading the way with 40 points...and he ONLY had 3 at halftime...go figure...Our team defense was solid as were are decision-making with the ball in the half court...If only we could "bottle" this persona, make a couple of cases, and take the potion hope with us...I had a pregame conversation with our best overall athlete on the team, "Cash", who has been struggling the last two outings...He came to my rooms after our meeting in Coach Gao's room (a gameday ritual usually at 4pm when the contest begins at 7:30pm)...Pancake also was there to translate for the both of us, although Cash understands my "Chinglish" better than most...Anyway, I wanted to find out firsthand what was bothering Cash, and how he felt about his malperformances at home lately...Let me tell you how much I really respect and care for Cash: he is MORE important to this team than anyone else per se, because he can guard 4 positions (sans the opposing Center), and play 3 positions...He also brings an energy and spirit to the team that is lacking for the most part and to me a 'breath of fresh air' when all else seems to go awry when we struggle out there on the floor in close games...So anyway, he tells me thru Pancake that "I was trying to play so well for our fans that I couldn't do anything right..."...Hmmm, THAT sounds familiar doesn't it? How many of you have witnessed your own sons and daughters struggling at home in their sports activity, only to find out later that they were trying to play their hearts out for you...As Cash continued to "release" the burden of thoughts past and perhaps rekindled for tonight's game, I reminded him, that basketball is a team game, meaning that he has no control over his teammates missed shots, lack of rebounding, poor passing and less than perfect effort, that ONLY he has control over his own performance and that "control" is perfect because it is EFFORT...He looked at Pancake translating and then at me and you could see in his eyes and facial expressions that he understood exactly what ol coach tom was sharing with him now...And pffffht just like that he broke out in a smile and thanked me over and over again, saying that he now knows NOT to put the burden of playing perfect as opposed to giving one's best effort...Now, I gotta tell y'all something here, I am on another continent, coaching in China, having a wonderful historical experience and I STILL get goosebumps talking with students of the game...for that I am so appreciative to experience this still...Little steps lead up steep mountain, and I am gaining more and more confidence with my relationship with the players and coaches...

Beijing Observations: This place is awaiting the World, that's for sure...their "theme" mantra for the Olympics in '08 is "One Dream...One World..."...They are definitely preparing highways, buildings and the airport itself for this most epic event in Asia to date...Imagine the World descending upon Beijing and China in general, for the first time...10 out 10 people in the free world are wearing or using some item in their daily lives that has been made, manufactured, worn or used that was made in this country...I will have more on THAT subject soon...it is mind provoking phenomenon that, frankly, has me scratching my head and wondering "if" we're ready for China emerging as "the" country of the future...Trust me, when I lay out the similarities in their approach to Western Civilization, well, you'll get the picture real quick...Okay, I'm a stoppin this blogit, as I am back from a most wonderful team dinner where we had "hot pot" cooked lamb and vegetables...Let me say this: this food is so fresh and unbelievably healthy, it makes you wonder about the paranoia that's been generated to date about their toys ect...Will get back to you tomorrow...

Thanks as always for taking the time to read my blogits and perhaps share them with others...I gotta Big Shout Out for my main man, Larry Stone and Family...This cat's so cool they gotta put the "heat" on during the summer...Also, want to wish Jeff D'Ambrosio the best wishes in his debut as the varsity boys coach at Mt. Si...He will do well there, I believe, because he cares for the kids FIRST and NOT after they get in trouble...see you shortly...Coach tom

November 24, 2007...Saturday morning on a flight to Beijing to play two away games vs. another alphabet and linguists challenge...This I know, I was never an Asian in a previous life because there is an incredible mind discipline that is required to learn Chinese, Japanese and Korean, all languages that I have been fortunate enough to experience listening to, and picking up personal greetings in my coaching career...I say this out of respect for the various cultures that we as human beings occupy on this planet, and with great reverence towards each culture's way of life, from Family, business, holiday, birth, death and of course the celebrations of marriage and New Years, which seem to be their "Times Square" extravaganza that is more traditional than our imbibing "party atmosphere" socials...Get this: the Chinese literally celebrate their new year with family gatherings, friendly gatherings, office gatherings, community gatherings, organizational gatherings and any-kind-of gathering you wish to celebrate in the New Year...and it lasts a couple of WEEKS!!! Now, understanding this, there are two things to keep in mind and remember: they won't do business during this time with anyone, they won't start wars, they won't hurt anybody, and they will be very respectful of others (which they are already for the most part in my observations), meaning that we can rest assured that this fast accelerating culture is on the edge of influencing the standards of living, wealth, capitalism (under more of a socialist rather communist infrastructure>their last General Assembly in October passed resolutions allowing the "freedom of expression of religious beliefs...as long as it is NOT public and without the approval of the provincial government"<, class separation being more and more defined by the large number of educated citizens and the labor forces that are loyal to the country...This I predict: as long as they do nothing to educate children and adults on the hazards of smoking, given the terrible smog issues of these rapid developing business zones in every major city, they will have an epidemic health issue BEYOND anything that the modern world has EVER seen or heard in this century...I would venture to say that at least 8 out 10 men ages 21-60 SMOKE cigarettes!! They smoke on the job, they smoke in their cars, taxis, homes, in public places (even some of the arenas), restaurants, yet there are some venues where it is not allowed but they are in such a minority and isolated that the only benefit would be to the workers themselves who are not exposed to second hand smoking...Get this: there is actually a cigarette filter that is "Vitamin C Enriched" and comes in a pack of 10...It costs about $4 USD, and many OLDER men in their 40s on up, start using this method of smoke-aides...Now I don't know about you, but if they, the Chinese can develop this type of "filter" with Vitamin C blending with the smoke of a cigarette, they gotta be able to come up with a "Smog-free Filter Mask" that has Multiple Vitamins, right? When it hits the market, I'm headin to LA and New Joisey with suitcases full of same...put your orders in early!! Another interesting tidbit on their cigarettes: the peasants smoke cheap cigarettes...the affluent packs that cost between $6-$30 A PACK!! Yes, $30 a pack...The leaf is government owned and operated meaning that money is being made off every pack of cigarette sold in this country...I know that they use these funds for road improvement, social welfare and development of technology and education, but the real issue here is that the monies gained should go towards education and awareness and prevention of smoking, otherwise they will be faced with the catastrophic costs of dealing with major health issues, which I'm sure they are now BUT keeping under wraps...$6-$30 per pack!!! Wow...Okay, enuff of my observations and commentary on Chinese culture from my Irish perspective...on to my basketball trilogies...If I offended anyone with the aforementioned observations, I apologize and hope it helps you understand how important it is to teach our children NOW on the hazards of smoking while there is still time...If they are given the education of vitamins as a necessity for good health and THIINK that smoking with a Vitamin C filter is cool and won't give you cancer...Oh boy, somebody pass out the "smart pills" please...

November 20th, 'our' celebration of Thanksgiving Day in the RedBuds Hotel...Myself, Steve Castleberry, DaJuan Tate and his bride, RaRa, together with Babacar, sat down to our traditional T Day meal after practice...We only had an hour and a half to "enjoy" our dinner together, as we had to catch a cab and go across town to the Chinese players' hotel where we would review a video of our next game, which was last night...Forgive me if I don't expound on the misery of late, suffering through two consecutive home losses when I thought we had turned the corner as a Team on our last road trip...Back to the Chinese Thanksgiving Dinner...the day before I met with the Manager, Andy Zu about seeing whether or not we could have a "special" American traditional dinner prepared for us in the hotel...I asked him kindly if this were not an imposition upon his Chef and staff...He was so excited that we would even consider staying at the hotel to eat there and have the confidence in their Chef to prepare such a meal...He told me to come back after our morning practice and visit with him again, but he saw no problems with the affair...I returned to the hotel and together with C-Berr, we met with Andy and the Executive Chef, who was more than willing and excited to take on this request...I wrote out our menu: COOKED Turkey...Mashed Potatoes...Green Beans...Gravy...Cranberry Sauce (that one was never translated properly as we ended up getting "bolognaise sauce" as the apparent "red" sauce that I was talking about...go figure...), and of course Pumpkin Pie...Folks let me tell you this, the Chef tells me he "found" a Turkey in Changchun and will cook the whole bird for us, "no problem" was the answer always during this brief meeting...I came away and so did C-Berr with the idea that, really, here in China, we will have Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie...Now all we had to do was practice this afternoon and show up for dinner 6 hours later...6:30 pm in the RedBuds Western Restaurant, 2nd floor, table reserved for a party of 5...Here is how the dinner was served: we had salads with thousand island dressing that had a 'kick' to it, and let me tell you: the legumes had no chance to NOT be consumed by this table...Good start so far...Did I mention the fresh sesame' rolls we also asked for? Served...ummm and good...then came the Chef's Special concoction> "Pumpkin Puree Soup", so far so good...and then the main course: each plate had a Matterhorn-sized serving of mashed potatoes, healthy serving of green beans, slices of red Turkey that went halfway up the side of the potato mound, and hot dark gravy...About the "red" Turkey...I'm checking this featherless bird out like the USDA/FDA/ATF agencies as I have never seen a "red" Turkey sliced or slices for that matter in my life...I tell Babacar to "hold on a minute" (he's Muslim) until I find out that this really was a bird they prepared and not a young pig (seriously)...Now you gotta see me trying to speak Chinglish regarding the following questions: 1) "could you ask the Chef to come to the table, please..." Answer: "you want more soup?"...and here I thought I was really making progress after 3 months on this floor in the hotel...2) "No, I need to find out how long the Turkey was cooked for...can you get the Chef for me...? Answer: "Just a moment, please...and out comes the Chef with the Cranberry Sauce ala Bolognaise presentation...3) "Niaho Chef...the soup was delicious...thank you so much...I am curious, is this Turkey or Pork...?" Answer: "This is small special Turkey, found today in Changchun, we soak in special Chinese sauce and cook until meat fall off bones...no pork, special Chinese Turkey..."...Me: "Whew, smiling at Babacar, looking next at C-Berr who has already consumed 3/4 of his plate and also DTate who leveled his mountain of potatoes bypassing "whatever that is I'm not going to let my potatoes get cold..."...and the Chef and his 4 servants looking at me to see if I will NOW eat my "red" Turkey with hot dark gravy on top...Folks, it was "derlicious" as only Pancake can say in his melodic monotone English...I took each bite and looked at all of the attending supervisors, smiling and thumbs upping everyone who made eye contact with me...Fortunately during this brief exchange, there was a Chinese translator seated nearby who overheard my questions and their answers and came to the rescue to interpret the pained responses of the Chef at this time, only then was he beginning to relax when he was able to share this 'special' Chinese recipe with us...All of us finished our dinner well and next came the Pumpkin Pie, and it had lil bit of whipped cream (we each had two slices) and fresh boysenberry jam if we wanted more sweetness to it...Now that was tasty as well...Overall dinner experience, based on a 1-10 scale: ********* count' em, NINE STARS...Trust me, the Chefs in China take GREAT personal pride in their cuisine, from freshness to presentation,meaning that you can't find a 3 or 4 Star restaurant in Changchun that won't have some delicacy that appeals to your Epicurean desires...Before I move on to our Friday night loss by 7 points to a team that again we should have beat, let me say this, what happened at our afternoon practice preceding our "Thanksgiving Dinner" was an incredible scenario...Remember I told you that "expect the unexpected and that way there is no shock and despair...?"...Well, as I suspected, the unexpected happened which C-Berr and myself knew was expected to happen...Pancake tells Steve and myself to "report right away to the Manager's Office, he want to speak to you and Castleberry now, you must hurry...", this coming on the heels of my leading our warmup drill...So, Steve looks at me, I look at him and we both figure, well what the hell maybe we're both going home on the same ticket...Turns out the Manager had a sportswriter in this meeting, imagine Steve Kelley sitting in on a Sam Presti meeting with Sene and an Asst. Coach, and through Pancake's translation wants to know if (1)"do you mind if I smoke..." (of course not, my meter's still "good" for another 20+ years...)...(2) "would you like special Green Tea...Now he's talking, I breathe in the smoke from 2 cigarettes (Team Manager also in this meeting), and there's 4 of us "filtering" out the smoke (you don't open windows in Changchun when it's 26 degrees outside...it's too cold and you might catch a cold before you catch second and third hand smoke cancer), so I figure "cool, at least there are 6 other lungs workin with me here in this meeting that AREN'T smoking...Anyway, the tea table is set, the conversation for the benefit of the sports columnist, who by the way was mute the whole time BUT was watching me with great curiosity and me him as well (geez I'm glad I don't get "graded" for my colloquial liberties here, forgive me Sister Mary Margaret, rest her soul), and the Manager looks at me and says through Pancake: "it has been one month now that we have been together, you have had a chance to eat with me, drink with me and see how I operate, what is your opinion? Do you think I am doing a good job? Tell me..."...oh hell yes, y'all know I'm going to 'milk' that cow right now, and I reply in my most politically and ambassadorially correct way (new Chinglish word created in Changchun by Coach tom, similar in meaning to 'cordially', but a lil more pissazz to the meaning I think), that indeed we have worked well together, you have been positive with the players and supportive of their efforts even under the most trying circumstances and embarrassing losses, and for that it takes a strong leader to do this...I am enjoying the opportunity to help you and Coach Gao and the players with their development and ongoing skills improvement for the success of this season and future seasons...It is unfortunate that we have faltered in the 4th qtrs. of recent games, but I believe as long as we can learn from our errors and continue to play hard and together, we have a chance to turn things around..."...He smiled and thanked me and the Team Manager also acknowledged my comments...Understand this: when I address these people about these kids and Coach Gao, I truly mean every word about their character, spirit and willingness to learn and improve...my only issue is that our "learning curve" is somewhere between New Zealand and Antarctica...That is where I get really bamfuzzled by our losses: "what are we learning here, what can we do differently that will help each us to coach and play more consistently...?...The Manager now moves onto Steve, whose hot tea has become ice tea since he is nervous as you could imagine for the inevitable "we like you a lot...BUT..." comments, exchange, and lo and behold, the Manager fulfills Steve's vision: "we really appreciate everything you have brought to the team, Castleberry, you are a true professional (UNBELIEVABLY TRUE statement there!), the players respect you, the coaches appreciate your efforts and you played very well in the last 4 games, but now, the CBA and Chinese Government, wants many teams who are not playing so well to make changes, and we are going to change you with Babacar...We hope that you would stay and train with us and coach newell to improve your skills and help Babacar with his contributions to the team, and also that you accept our offer of your contract staying the same, and you can travel with team on road trips also..."...Well Steve looks at me and I smile, one because as "sad" as he felt coming in, the same sadness became joy because he earned the respect and right to "stay" with this team because of his spirit and work ethic, meaning that he will help "bang" the other centers in practice: Bear and Babacar...I was so happy with Steve's response because he truly understood right then and there, that it was over for him this season, his first in China, but that he earned the respect of the coaches, teammates and press to warrant an invitation to stay...I then chimed in and said that we would also like to help the Junior team if possible when not in conflict with the Men's team...that too, made a favorable impression upon all that were sitting there, that these two Americans are "unlike" any we have ever encountered professionally with the Jilin Northeast Tigers...I then ask if we may go back to practice as we have an important game tomorrow night and I need to work with Babacar's preparations...They excuse us, and on the way back, Steve and I have a wonderful conversation about how he "earned" this right to stay, when other Americans will not get the benefit of an invitation and return back to the States...Steve is such a GREAT Team Player, I can't begin to tell you...NOTE to Steve's Parents: you have raised a wonderful, honest-to-goodness Son, that you would be so proud of and I know each of you are, but let me tell you, he's special, and I am blessed for having the opportunity to have met him and now to continue developing his skills so he can continue to play professionally...(and by the way, the 'reason' I was invited to the meeting according to Pancake is because I recommended Steve in the first place and spoke so highly of his work ethic and professionalism, and they felt I was like a "father" to Steve while he was here and playing...Sheeet, now I really feel old...Told Steve don't even go there with the "Pops" crap, etc...we both laughed at Pancake's information...

Postgame Loss/Reflections from 2nd in week home loss: I can now relay this reflection as my Advil has kicked in and I don't have a headache anymore thinking about it...Here's our "stat" line the last two home losses: Defensively> we forced 18 turnovers...they shot under 45% on average...but shot above 38% from 3 pt. line...we were outrebounded on average by ONLY two boards...Offensively> we TURNED the ball over on average of 18 times for the two home losses, and then we shot under 40% from 2's and under 16% from 3's...Now my "logic" and less than statistical mindframe tells me that if we force 18 turnovers and are even on the boards that our defense is not doing so bad, right? Right! But then again when WE turn the ball over 18 times, half of which (or more) are unforced>ballhandling, 3 seconds, poor passing etc.), then we have to shoot better than 50% from the 2's area and 45% from the 3's as our FTAs and FTMs are on average 10-12 MORE than opponents...Simple logic I think...shared these thoughts with Coach Gao and he agreed, we need to spend more time in our practices working on execution and taking care of the ball...Technical note here to youth coaches: if your team is turning the ball over regularly, look at your previous week's practice regimen...Did you have any ballhandling drills included in your warmups? Did you practice halfcourt situations with live defense, so players would understand "timing" and execution? Did you emphasize "crisp" passes as a practice discipline so as to carry over to game proficiency? These are all elements that are needed consistencies to be an effective and successful halfcourt team...I refuse to go into anymore detail about Friday's loss...our record right now is 3-8, like a weak April-May-June pitcher's record...Babacar, our new replacement Senegal/American Post player, will help us eventually, but we missed Steve last night for sure...

Upcoming Sunday night game: November 25th...This team we're playing has a couple of pretty good Americans playing for them, Damon King, shooting guard/point guard around 6'2" and a 6'9" athletic PF/C Major Jones...Their record is 4-8 and they have their issues, having lost their last two home games as well...Okay, so I'll let you know how we do in that one...I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day and weekend with your Families...I was able to connect with mine via phone today, Friday evening your time, and it was a pure joy to speak with Ashleigh, Brian, their son, Carter, our son Bo, and Elaine...Paigee, our youngest was in Arizona having TDay with her close friend Jackie Calabrese and her family...I was happy to have been able to connect with all of them over the last two days...To all who sent me wishes and updates, thanks so much as always, for taking the time out of your busy family lives to share with me what's happening in yours...God Bless, safe travels and I do miss all of the "weekenders" whose season gets underway next week, I believe...Coach tom

November 19, 2007...Monday morning, not so good to me...when I woke up this morning, the game was still on my mind...and it was still on my minnnnnnd...(Now for those of you who remember the Mamas and Papas along with the We Five, you'll hum along to those lyrics I've put in the blogit here)...Last night's game was as disappointing a loss as I have ever experienced on a bench as a coach all these years...We lost 99-93...this, after leading AFTER 3 qtrs. by 16 points...There were some interesting consecutive calls at one end of the court that put the home team in the penalty with 10:50 to go (a record no less) and that kind of paved the "Follow the Yellow Brick Road...", 'cause we did everything opposite defensively that we were successful with when we built the lead after 3 qtrs...Which means, as coaches we have to do a better job of helping our players succeed in these situations better, and hopefully we'll learn that it's okay to come out of the game when you're tired...My role on the bench is to help the coach with substitutions and matchups on defense as well as the alignment on "D"...The last 3 games our disruptive pressure defense has been so good it would have made Coach Ernie Woods, proud...until... the 4th qtr. of last night's game...For the life of me, I have never understood why players "relax" when working so hard on defense and moving their feet, switching on contact screens, closing out with a hand up and forcing baseline, this to me is coach-life long puzzle to me...We played defense so poorly which affected our offense since we didn't force any turnovers NOR any stops, as we gave up 41 points in the 4th to our 20...you do the math: we had shut them down well in 3 qtrs., forcing turnovers, outrebounding them, playing with a purpose and finishing plays like I've seen us do the two previous games on this road trip...So, with the other team in the penalty, and their ability to stop the clock by driving right by us like a Nascar Pit Stop, we were being prepared like a Turkey gettin ready for Thursday...the ONLY thing that was missing was the STUFFING and that came later when we STILL had a chance to gain the last possession but blew it when Steve C-Berr appeared to have been fouled on the rebound and they picked the ball out of his hands and put it back in...Now I'm not saying that Tim Donaghy, late of the American Professional Basketball League (better known as the "Movers League"), was part of this crew, but I gotta say it once, I have never seen Phantom of the Opera in my life, but I think I saw something similar without music titled: "The 3 Phantoms of the Court...", 'cause folks these cats were a piece of work...I was told that the officiating on the road was expected to be bad, but up until the 4th qtr. there were maybe only 4 calls that were suspect, and I'm pretty objective here as I write this...Anyway, I got a first hand experience of the forecast closeup and will remember this one, with a large double digit lead for a long time...Here's the scenarios in our timeouts: we're goin over offense when we need to be goin over DEFENSE...we had 2 timeouts in 6 mins. after which we came out of the timeouts and turned the ball over as well as give up 2 uncontested layups off steals...oh yeah, we turned the ball over 5 times in the 4th qtr...our offense was non existent down the stretch as we became very predictable: 2 passes then a shot...that hurts...I really like and respect Coach Gao, the Head Coach, because he's so positive with the players and everyone around him...he is such a sincere person, you can't but not like and respect him...But last night we needed to get into some people's derrieres or where the sun don't shine during the timeout to WAKE THEM UP, but he chose to focus on the Offense and I have to respect him and his decision to focus on what he knows best: Offense (remember, tom, you're a Geezer now, and in a mentoring role with this team)...I am not a good person to be around when we lose because of a lack of court intelligence, and let me tell you something, there were NO Larry Bird Scholars on the court from our side of the bench in the 4th qtr....When players take shortcuts on the defensive end to "save" themselves for offense, well this ol boy here goes into a bonafide FUNK...which I am still in to some degree mainly because I am seriously tired, both mentally and physically...I visited with Coach Gao in his room along with Pancake, and I really wished I didn't have to use him as a translator here, mainly because he is NOT a basketball person, per se (never played the game, got the job because he led his class in English at Jilin University), and also because I don't want to say things that may "get lost" in translation and Coach Gao may misinterpret my "coachspeak", which could happen at anytime during or after a game...So I preface my reflections on what happened tonight by saying that we have to put a "value" on defense with this team, otherwise we will lose games like this again...we also must consider the fact that there are players out on the court who need to come out and rest for a minute or two and then go back in, because right now, they are hurting us terribly...(follow along here, please, as Pancake wishes for me to say everything at once so then he can interpret back to the coach...now that REALLY scares me)...I explained that Spider Monkey was in need of a rest as he had difficulty getting anything organized in our half court sets and then let the opposing point guard go wherever he wanted to with his hands at his side which meant that our wings were going to be at risk on closeouts as the receivers would get the ball in their comfort zone for sure...and they did...So I wait for the 5 minute translation of my two minute reflection and Coach Gao tells me that we need to forget about tonight's game and be positive about the fact that we won two out of three on the road and be happy with that...that he "feels" me and how upset I am about our lack of discipline and commitment to defense AFTER we gain a large lead, but the game is over and now we must get ready for the next game on Wednesday...Any other coach that I've worked with or under that would have made that comment to me and I definitely would react opposite and speak my peace, but then again, this is Coach Gao, and I really like him and respect him and I am his mentor now at this time and place (notice my mantra here)...I am positive...I am kind and definitely sensitive as a coach...but... when basketball intelligence is willfully dismissed by 3 or 4 players when the game is on the line, well, those "kind" words don't make my "tea" any sweeter here...if you catch my drift...I really do like and respect Coach Gao, and have to remind myself that he is "foreign" to the game of basketball and that I am in a mentoring role with him...but dadgummit, we coulda, shoulda and woulda WON last night IF only we had focused in our timeouts ON DEFENSIVE reminders and matchups that result in S-T-O-P-S...Enuff of this negative stuff, he's right, I gotta let it go...The Long and Winding Road....another 60's favorite...

My cough is between a goose honk and a fog horn...try that one Coach E!! I feel better but still can't shake it...we get home from JINJIANG ciity around 5pm today, check that, we're delayed 2 hours PLUS we make a stop along the way...reason for the delay? SNOW in Changchun City...at last I get to go "home" where I know there aren't any mosquitos alive in THAT city now...we have a 2 hour bus ride and then a 5 hour flight...not much sleep last night, in fact ZEEROW...will try to get some on the bus and plane...

Observations and Reflections on JINJIANG: I have NEVER seen so many motorcycles in one city as I have in this one...they ride 3 to a cycle, and these two wheelers serve as the "taxi" service in this town...incredible sight...the "Easy Riders" were pink helmets (it's the law for both driver and passenger), blue, yellow, camouflage, black, red, blue, lunch bucket, you name it, they're wearing it famously...it's a trip to watch young women in skirts sit astride one of these motos that go no faster than a 3 legged Bassett Hound at top speed...there are very few Taxis, still not sure why? Anyway, about my walkaround town to have lunch with the other 3 Americans...this story will both make you laugh and cry at the same time, it's THAT funny...we're on the street walking several blocks to this other hotel nearby to eat in a nice steak restaurant, recommended by Babacar, who is here to replace Steve, I guess, but such a GREAT young man in his own right, here we are together, proud Americans (he's Sengalese, married to an American from his college days), and we are being stared down from ahead by a 3'2" less-than-tall male person who was "sizing" up 7'0" C-Berr, 6'11" Babacar, 6'5" D Tate and me...so we head towards him on the same path, knowing that he will probably "get" a donation from one of us, and he immediately latches onto Babacar first, he's in the lead here, looks up at him and I think he got dizzy cause he let him go very quickly...then he went to C-Berr and tried the same Kung Fu/Wheel Lock (you know the kind they put on your car when you illegally park), and Steve had on these baggy raggedy asz warmups on and the lil feller got lost in them so he let go of Steve but not before latching onto D Tate who knew right away that he was the "mark" UNTIL he saw this old guy with mosquito bite on top of his forehead, looking weak as a wet noodle and in one swift move had me in a TWO ARM calf lock/hold that honestly, I wasn't going anywhere and "he" knew it UNLESS I made a donation to his tin cup...D, Steve and Babarcar kept walking away from me and the "lock", all the while I'm telling D "I don't have any RMBs...get me 5 or 10 so he'll let me go...c'mon D...", so what's he do? Starts laughing like the other two knuckleheads, and says, "Coach, I don't have RMBs less than a 100...we can't give him that...", laughing while taking his camera and setting up a couple of pictures for posterity and hilarity...All the while the lil feller is beginning to cut the circulation off below my knee, right on the mid section of my right calf...I yellin at Steve and Babarca now to help me out of this, and check to see if they have any 5's or 10's, and the lil feller is getting impatient based upon his increased "lock" on my calf...D tells us he's got some great shots and delays my release by telling Steve and Babacar to come look "it's hilarious..."...The lil feller is muttering something and now other pedestrians come by to marvel at his "lock" on the American and are so entertained by this 'show', they too contribute and now he thinks, "as long as I hold on to this guy...I can get donations..."...To my rescue comes Babacar, as Steve didn't have any lower denominations either and he gives me 10 Yuan (RMB dollars equal to $1.40 USD) to drop in his cup which I immediately do and plead for him to finally let me go...he looks up, gives me a smile and a wink , and I had the most incredible pins and needles rush going through my leg that you wouldn't believe, kinda like when you cross your legs and sit in that position for a long time and you're not used to it, and then you move to get up and walk and all of a sudden that "rush" hits...Anyway, I limp away, all the while we're laughing so hard from the scene that I experienced and D captured on his digital camera...I will send this event to you soon, as well as cameos of the principles involved in this journey of mine...Update on our flight home...we have been rerouted to Dalian, the port city we had to bus out of 12 days ago because the fog was so bad on the road back to Changchun...Anyway, the snow is coming down hard in Changchun City as I write here, meaning that we may have to spend the night in a hotel OR leave at 11pm (it's 7pm now), and get into Changchun 45 mins. later and in our own beds by 12:30 am...but then again, I ain't "feeling it" for our reboarding tonight, meaning another hotel in another city, but fortunately I won't have to worry about any 'sqeeters comin my way...We finally arrived in Changchun City, "home" at 2am Tuesday...We were only 9 hours over our ETA!! whew...take care, have a great week everyone, thanks for taking the time to read these stories and share them perhaps with others, hope they enlighten your understanding of "Coach tom's basketball life in China..."...Hey, Big Shout Out to the Huskies and Coach Willingham and his Staff for a HUGE win over Cal, the former #2 team and would have been #1 if their backup quarterback didn't try to make a selfish play at the end of the OSU game several weeks ago with less than 10 secs. to go...he was stopped on a "sneak" at the 2 yd. line...Cal loses and proceeds to lose 5-6 next games...Wow...Also wish the Huskies the best in NYC this week...Coach Lo has them playing at a confidence level in November which is HUGE considering the loss of Hawes to the team this year...Coach tom

Special Announcement: My Co-Director, Jay Arnold, lost his dear Mother two days ago, this after having surgery to remove a tumor, and being released by the hospital to her home less than a week later...she awoke the day after her return home and told her husband she didn't feel well and collapsed shortly thereafter, with her husband calling 911 fire emergency care...it was too late, she passed away...Jay just contacted me this morning via email with the sad news, and I know his heart his heavy and he is terribly sad at this time, to be expected, so I ask you kind people out there, say a little prayer, light a candle and give your loved ones a call this Thanksgiving and tell them all how much you love them and miss them if you can't be with them on Thursday...Jay, your Moms is in the Angels Choir now, so you can tell your 3 young daughters that she is singin wonderful songs of joy everyday for many souls in Heaven...God Bless you and MB and your girls...I would like everyone who has had the opportunity to go online and read our articles and listen to the podcasts, to know that our success with this program is due in LARGE by Jay Arnold and his brilliant vision of "connecting" families, children and coaches with a platform that is non-rivaled today on the internet...Coach Guy Perry, our other Co-Director with FSLT and close colleague, appreciate the professional direction and structure that Jay has presented to our endeavor to help families and their youth sports coaches today... Coach tom

November 17, 2007...Saturday afternoon...on the road again, in the deep south east of China for the next two hours...Where are we headed? Hmmm, good question...I know it has X's-I's-Gs in the name of the airport we arrived, but couldn't for the life of me pronounce literately the name...sorry, hope you understand the perils of traveling in a foreign country and the language has characters not letters for the most part and this makes translation difficult...Now to the exciting part of this trip again...We won...we won..we won again...This time out it was versus the #1 team in the League: Bayi Red Star Army Team (kind of like the Military Academy Stateside), and the reigning Champions...They're considered the Celtics of the CBA, and have the most players on the National Team, 6, which I thought was 4 until I heard differently this morning...Where to begin: we were as focused as I've ever seen us before a game, really, and that "sign" to any basketball coach is a positive read on his/her team...Our pregame meeting at the hotel 2 hours prior to our departure for the gym was really good...Coach Gao had Coach YoYo read a story a true story about a young girl who needed eye surgery and the family could not afford the operation, so the little girl started collecting bottles, plastics and other recyclables on her own and began to help "save" for the operation along with her parents...Little did the girl realize that her mother was terribly ill and passed away a couple of years later, never complaining and still working up to the end to help pay for her daughter's medical attention...Well, it ended up that the Mother took her money to the hospital with her and asked the doctor to please apply it to her daughter's needs and not her own if he would be so kind...The doctor was so moved by this he gathered other colleagues and shared this incredible story of love and sacrifice with them, and soon there was a "fund" for this girl's operation after her mother passed away and soon her surgery was successfully completed...So Coach Gao goes on to tell the team that "I know this has nothing to do with you and basketball at this time, but I want you to know how important it is to never take anything for granted, to understand and accept adversity as a life lesson and to know that there are people out there who care for others when it seems there isn't..."...Well, I gotta tell you something, he was so passionate with his explanation of "why" he had the story read, that I really thought I knew what the essence of the whole story was..."caring for one another even when you are in pain yourself..."...The players were non-responsive like most basketball players when a coach speaks to them, yet their body language spoke otherwise as they looked at one another and nodded, passive in verbiage, but "knowing" that this game was going to be special...I sensed that also and when it was my turn to speak at the end, I kept it simple and stated: "Don't be surprised by winning this game tonight...anticipate it, visualize the feeling that you came in ready to meet the challenge, both physically and fundamentally and left victorious...."...The other two coaches also spoke of the tradition of the Red Army team and how teams allowed them to intimidate them and that had more to do with their mystique than anything...

Game Time: The Bayi arena is small in comparison to NBA arenas and conveniences, trust me...in fact, there are very few basketball arenas in China that could match the venues in both D-1 and NBA markets...It'll be interesting to "see" how the NBA plans to "capitalize" on this market someday...and they will, trust me...This is the first road venue where I actually saw a lot of kids with parents...it's noticeable because it caught me by surprise too...The ages of the kids with parents and other peers was between 4 and 15, boys and girls...Of course this is the reigning Champion and perhaps the other teams are not a "model" of success that parents want their children to watch elsewhere...I don't know but it is somewhat of a phenomena...

Game Recap> Jilin NE Tigers 86 and Bayi 77: Steve C-Berr came out in the first qtr. and established right away that he was going to go right at Wong Zhi Zhi, former NBA 1st round player with the Clippers and then Dallas...He's about 6'10", left handed, shoots the 3 as well as anyone skilled that's left open and is about as aggressive as porcupine with no quills...Steve got into this guy's comfort zone early and set the tone for us, no question...He plays with great spirit and heart, and under a lot of pressure for this game and the next two, as the new GM brought in the former Post player here from a year ago, to "try out" in practice vs. Steve, as the deadline for making changes comes up at the end of the month...Think about this: EVERY WEEK we've had some type of distraction going on, and now this to start our road trip (I found out the day of our second game vs. Shanghai and was told to tell Steve "not to worry...it's only a tryout..."), and Steve who is one of the hardest working players I've ever had the pleasure of teaching and working with, has this "anchor" upon his shoulders going into that game and the next 4...so what does he do: goes out and gets 30 points and 14 boards and LEADS us over Shanghai...then last night, the "try out" player arrives in the morning goes through shootaround with us and then sits behind our bench as Steve is given the "nod" to start...I had no idea that Coach Gao was going to start him as this was the first time Steve would have started for the team under this coach...So as Steve is getting ready to go on the court, he gets a pep talk from his newest close friend and fellow American teammate D Tate and then I catch him on the way to Center Jump...Hey Steve! Yeah Coach..."go out there and have fun..."...That's all I said to him...And did he ever...he outplayed their "superstar" and we won...hmmm, that means that with Steve in the lineup playing 30 mins. or more we're 2-0 and he's averaging 23pts. and 11 boards...Now I'm wonderin "how" are they going to justify changing players IF Steve continues to have success in the Post and the team keeps winning? Good question, Tom, I'm sure they don't want you to ask that...Okay, I'll speak up when asked, and I know I'll be asked...We led after one qtr. 26-24...down 4 at half 47-43, then up by 8 at the end of 3, I believe (I'm still waiting for the stat sheet after ANY freakin game...), and then the basketball angels from Jilin traveling with us, guided our perimeter 3's like you wouldn't believe, thus eliminating any discrepancy of calls and issues with the Officials because how can you call something that isn't there when the ball goes in the basket...we were up at one point by 17 with 6 mins. to go, and then got lazy in our halfcourt closeouts, allowing back to back 3's and giving them life with 4 something to play...Coach Gao took a timeout and we regrouped and I was ready to strangle Wong Bo, our team leader and minutes per game leader, over 45 or 48 mins. average...I know, I feel the same as you do: "Why?"...it's a Chinese 'thing' here for coaches to play National Team players as many minutes as possible, thinking that they will get the benefit of calls etc...Dr. Naismith I am sorry to inform you, the translation of "your" game was misquoted in 10,000 different characters in this country, thus the reason for "strange" things that represent basketball now in China...I am hoping to convince Coach Gao, to rest Wong Bo in the last 1:30 of each of the first 3 qtrs. and then he gets another two minutes at the break and is refreshed...right now, he's a liability on defense in the 2nd half as far as I'm concerned when we need stops...He knows this and apologizes, now I have to convince Coach Gao...I think he'll listen to my logic...hope so for our team's sake...

Lockeroom Aftermath: Wow, talk about happy "campers"...this group was so elated and excited for the outcome, I was caught up into as well, coughing all the while as we all hugged and bumped chests and NODDED, similar to that aforementioned "nod" in our pregame meeting...eerie, yet real, I know there are coaches out there who at one time or another have had a similar experience, winning a game that you weren't suppose to...Isn't it a sense of satisfaction to and your staff to know that your preparations and focus on team prepared them for that moment in the lockeroom after the contest? I really think so...

We are in Xingtai, Fujian area of South China...going to play vs. a really quick and fast uptempo team as I stated before...their name is SBS or Fujian team...As I said before well coached by J Prada, former assistant coach with Paul Westhead at Loyola University, los Angeles...Paul by the way, is the former WNBA Head Coach of the Phoenix Mercury, 2007 Champions of the WNBA...he is currently on the staff as PJ Carlesimo's assistant...I mention this because Paul will introduce a progressive style of uptempo offense that will have teams wondering who to guard, switch and help out by the time the mid season rolls around...the Sonics might be losing now, but trust me, between PJ and Paul, you've got a couple of really sound basketball minds with a young team that will be exciting to watch develop...My personal thoughts on losing the Sonics: it's a terrible shame that a storied franchise such as this one, with all the wonderful stories over the years and characters who wore the Green and Gold when their careers began or ended here will be lost stories of old, I'm afraid, because there is a generation of young people who will miss out on the historical influence of the Sonics to the communities at large...I think of all the people, current and past who represented the Sonics on the floor, off the court, over the phones, in public relations, on playground events supporting youth sports and education, and more importantly the "model" they gave to young aspirants, captivated by the aura of gifted athletes who once were a part of this special community known as the Northwest...I still find it hard to read and believe that Mr. Bennett will indeed abandon this locale in the end...

Okay, I'm coughing again, so I gotta get some needed rest and take some medicine, a concoction of honey and bear liver extract and something else that they won't tell me, but it seems to be working better than NyQuil at this point...How's it taste? Hmmm, let me try it again here and I'll tell you...Imagine honey mixed with silly puddy, you know the kind that your kids use to play with and eat too, and we all thought that they would die or get sick doing so...and they didn't...so we tasted a little bit ourselves and could NOT figure out for the life of us WHY would they eat THIS!?!..yeah, that baaaaaaaad...arghhh!! Take care, have a great weekend, and those kids out there that I've been fortunate to train over the last 4-5 years who are now "licensed" to drive and are reading my blogs: DRIVE safely, drive with care and more importantly drive with a purpose (visualize where you're going, how your getting there in traffic and KNOWING that there might be jam somewhere along the way, so relax, the Pizza won't go cold and your friends will still be there...)...God Bless...Coach tom

November 15, 2007...airborne on way to play the #1 team, Bayi Red Star Army...We played as well as I have ever seen us play as a T-E-A-M...and on the long road no less...What was the "spark" for this happy occasion? For sure the Team meeting the night before where Coach Gao and his Staff, plus the GM, shared their soulful thoughts with the Team, and it must have had a positive effect, 'cause we got busy in this game...The score was 112-105, I believe...still waiting to get a copy of the stats...Player of the Game: Steve "C-Berr" Castleberry, our "Footer" who played the game of his life: 30 pts., 14 rebounds, 4 blocks and a smile from here to Hawaii...for the first time we were finally able to get Steve the ball on the post where he dominated with his Post moves to the basket...He only shot 1 FT in 36 mins., missing that attempt on the back end of a 3 pt. play...Man was he "money" last night...What was the key? Spider Monkey, former "Advanced Turnover Extraordinaire" graduate, who entered the game last night when we were down 16-4...Our offense in motion is like watching paint dry...yeah, really boring and interesting at the same time...guess that's what's called an oxymoron...needless to say, we struggle when our perimeter shots chip paint off the rim, and we don't run lanes for transition baskets...I made a suggestion to Coach Gao that we needed to get Pops (28 yr. old vet, only one married with child) out of there as he is too tentative and trying to protect the ball as opposed to getting us into the offense...Enter Spider...right away he picks up the tempo and makes a couple of assists and we're right back in the game...Enter Steve and he gets a lob pass for a dunk off a beautiful play by Spider Monkey...and then another no look pass in the paint to Steve and folks, it's a beauty to watch unfold here: Steve has finally found a "soulmate" on the floor on his team that actually PASSES the ball to him when he's open...This 3 mins. in the 1st qtr. when Steve and Spider are hooking up is giving us (coaches) a whole new insight to our problems of previous games: we don't use our Post player well at all...until NOW...anyway, the rest of the game was fun to watch evolve as the "team" came together well and played to their levels well...to the end...We got the "stops" on defense when needed down the stretch and rebounded the shots that we needed possessions on and the end result gave us the victory...still waitin on the stats...

Next game preparations: this is a solid Chinese team in that they have Wang Zhe Zhe, formerly of the Mavericks and Nuggets, I believe and one of the best perimeter shooters in the league...He goes about 6'9", left handed and appears on film that he's never taken the ball out bounds, meaning he's a shooter FIRST and FOREMOST and we'll have to respect that matchup early and LONG...I am going to suggest to Coach Gao that we play a Box (push sideline/baseline) and Diamond, which is a 1-2-1 with pressure ball matchup up top vs. Point and "see" how they adjust...I don't like zones , never have, mainly because it is the WORSE defensive rebounding position in basketball...too easy for players NOT to block someone out and anticipate the rebound instead of "assuming" teammate will get it...know what I mean...But in this application/proposal from me to Coach Gao and other coaches, I would like to see how we could disrupt their "normal" expectations of having Zhe Zhe touch the ball early in the qtr. and letting him get goin from downtown...We'll see if my translator Pancake can convey my thoughts and suggestions here...If not, we'll just have to be more alert on picking the ball up early, covering the lanes on pass entries and of course blocking out and rebounding on missed perimeter shots...

Reflections on being sick in China: I came down with a sniffaloffagus cold yesterday, and felt it coming on after the game on Sunday night...I think it was a carryover of being on a bus with 16 people for 8 straight hours and no FRESH air and a lot of sneezing and coughing going on behind me, which means the "airborne" particles will surely make its way towards my "jet intakes" (nostrils) and provide me with an opportunity to be sick later...True to form, that's what happened and now I feel like old Chevy (I had a '55 Bel Air back in the day) trying to "turn over" early in the cold mornings, you remember those days, right? Arrrrohn....arrrrrohn....arrrrohn...and finally there was enough "juice" left over to get it going, but it was really hard to get it cranking like it should...That's the way my morning started with the hackin and coughin and seemingly endless backfires before I finally felt human again and could stand upright and walk around in my hotel room stepping East and West...Man, every country I've been too that has blessed me with their "dormant" bugs, are all uniquely different in their manifestations and my body's acceptance of these foreign ills...As an example, when I played professionally for two years in Belgium they had a "resident" bug called "Le Grippe"...now let me tell you something about THAT bug...it's stealth, has no antidotes to speak of, just the reminder from the Belgies that "Le Grippe very bad and YOU will get it too...then it will pass..."...I scoffed at these testimonials at first until I got "The GRIP"...Aptly named, I might add, as it literally takes a hold on your body's nervous system and you really feel like you can't move...at all...anytime...wait'll you hear my 'prescription' from the then team's President's wife, Paula...she made me WAIT two days while I was laid up, and then brought over a bottle of Cabernet, cheap one I might add, poured the whole bottle into a soup pan, added some sugar, warmed it up, short of boil, and proceeded to have me DRINK the whole freakin pan!!! I was dehydrated as it was, so any liquid would quench the thirst and it did, let me tell you...She then told me to put on heavy sweat pants, sweat shirt with a tee under that, wool thick socks, add another blanket and go lay down on the bed and go to sleep until tomorrow..."and you will feel so much better...promise..." were her embedded words to my memory bank as reflect now...to this day, I do not recall anything that happened during that sleep sequence, but I DO remember the next morning when I awakened...I was soaking wet, beads of perspiration still dripping down my face, I had broken the fever, and now it was time to get up and take a shower and see how I felt after that...Folks, I was as good as a newborn puppy...all happy and giddy, no hangover, no fever, no cough, no stuffiness, I wuz healed by a "wives remedies"...remember those? I haven't forgotten that "prescription" and on occasion have seriously thought about implementing it again...But now NyQuil has replaced Caberet Sauvignon, and that stuff really KNOCKS you out prior, during and after one's sleep sequence...Good thing I brought 3 bottles of NyQuil to China...just in case...and the "case" happened...guess you can tell I might be still out of it by how quickly I digressed from the original thought behind this story on "getting sick in China..."...What do they do here? Well, let's see, we've had 8 players get sick so far and they go to hospital and get IVs for and hour and half or so, and then go to bed...not sure what's in the IV but it must work 'cause the fellas be back on the floor the next morning...

Okay, hope everyone understands that we're on a 3 game road trip, the second one coming up on Friday vs. the #1 team in League...we're fortunately going to have 3 practices before we play them, which is terrific, although the players to a man would disagree, but it gives us a chance to prepare a "game plan/strategy" towards their strengths, which is perimeter shooting and transition fast break opportunities...Will "blogit" tomorrow for you guys as your encouraging comments and pursuit of "more newell, more..." has inspired me to be diligent in bringing into my life here in China...Big Shout Outs to all the kids who put in timeless hours on improving their skills and game this past summer...Know this: you will be happy to experience a tryout with your team KNOWING that you worked your tail off JUST FOR THIS MOMENT...don't worry about your missed shots, turnovers and any other negative imagination that you visualize prior to the experience, just go out and demonstrate you BEST EFFORT and everything else will take care of itself...God Bless, take care good people and thanks so much for caring...Coach tom

November 12, 2007...10am...on a connecting flight to Shanghai...we play tomorrow night...guess I'll learn what "Shanghaid" means after hearing it for so many years growing up and watching John Wayne movies back in the black and white TV daze...

How to describe my current mental state and feelings for the game of basketball right now....hmmm, if Dr. Naismith and his current North American disciples could watch our "team" defense right now, and be asked how to describe it, here's what I'm sure the collective observations would be: "They remind me of 5 men visually impaired, hearing impaired, mute, and playing with no limbs..."...Translated: 5 guys with no vision, can't hear or talk and have no arms...Considering the maneless condition of my scalp, I believe that some pharmaceutical company, rivaling Rogaine, should retain my services as a spokesperson to see if in fact a coach of my pedigree CAN indeed grow back hair that has recently been pulled out...the way I'm headed (no pun intended), there's a good chance that the healthy "crop" on my chest is next for pulling out...I have never in my basketball life been so challenged as a coach to convey the simplistic fundamental values of team defense before and during a season...if my brain cells are being replaced, rejuvenated or invigorated by this experience then Dr. Timothy Leary missed the "boat" when he chose to seek outside means of wanting to hallucinate...I can make copies of our now 1-5 team that would be just as effective...Abe Lemmons, former U of Texas men's basketball coach, now deceased, was one of the most gifted humorists to ever represent professional coaches, and about right now, his humor would be a antidote for the poison that ails me at this time...Those who know me well, know that I'm a pretty positive person, one who sees the positive in ALL things related to players learning and playing this game, and humor is always one of my "finer" elements when enhancing one's level of concentration and/or learning abilities...

Game summaries to date...we have lost 2 straight after winning our 2nd game at home by 6pts...in overtime...uglee, but victorious...the next game was on the road in Dalian and we got run out of the gym early and late...We weren't ready to play mentally, and this team, Jilin Tigers are very "soft" when it comes to being aggressive...I don't like to talk about our weaknesses per se, but all the "spots" I had mentioned in previous early pre season practices and exhibition games is still "current" and doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon...which means we're in trouble...Why do the players continually falter? I believe it comes from their lack of education beyond high school and being in a system 11 and half months out of the year, training, lifting weights BUT NOT developing good habits and eliminating the bad ones...Our team has 13 active players right now...11 of the 13 are single child in a mom and dad environment growing up, meaning "spoiled" to this day...You have to remember, China has in place a "rule" that you may not have more than 2 children, and if the first born is a boy, they STOP procreating for the most part...Why? Because they have MORE females than males...they've allowed families who have 2 boys to have 3 children in the next generation or something like that...Anyway, back to the gist of my observations here regarding our players and their predictable tendencies and bad habits...They can do NO WRONG in the eyes of their parents, meaning any criticism, positive or negative will get the same reaction: "So what...?"...This is and will continue to be the downfall of progress here in China basketball: the lack of accountability for individual mistakes and bad habits that carry over onto the court in competitions...There are over 300 million playing basketball in China right now, all ages, all various skill levels, yet very little "teaching" really as opposed to the repetitions of fundamentals and the explanation of "why" we do this drill and for what purpose...I guess that's what boggles my mind the most with the players, not only on our team but watching film of opponents: they play with no purpose...more on this subject as the season progresses...

So, we lose and travel back in the Fog from Outer Limits, and then again on Sunday...After being down by 15 points at halftime, we storm back to take a lead only to go BLANK from the field and mentally on defense...It was the same ol script from Grounhog Day: same time in game, 4th qtr., same scenario, leaving a shooter to help out a teammate WHO DOESN'T NEED HELP, and watching the open shooter knock down a 3 time and again...Deliberate mistakes? Yeah, good question, as I thought the same to myself...I think Coach Gao is realizing also, that we have certain players who give great Karoke lip service but their actions speak louder...He's finally accepting my recommendations to emphasize accountability on defense and NOT be enamored with a player who shoots and makes 1-5 from the 3 pt. area on our team...Simply amazing logic and wonderment to me, folks...

Team Meeting last night: we have more team meetings than any Senate Subcommittee, trust me...I think I really understand Chinese better now, because Coach Gao keeps repeating the same message over and over again...so the words are becoming familiar "tones" to me...Coach Gao is such a great person and teacher, it's a shame these players don't buy into him...He really wants them each to succeed, yet we still have dissident elements who are making their choice to be selfish and it is hurting the team...hence, the reason for meetings...I was asked to speak up and I chose to ask the players if any of them have actually "asked" their coaches what they could do to help the team play better...and if they had asked a teammate what they could do to help them also...Y'all shoulda seen the heads drop and eyes down, head still, while the words from Pancake's (translator) mouth reverberated in their ears...I had 3 players approach me when I was coaching the team earlier in the preseason: 2 Americans and Wong Bo...team leader...Evidently my words went right to the heart of the other coaches and the GM that was there as they all repeated what I shared as something that was very true and so important for our future successes: How can we help one another to succeed as a team...? Guess I'm good for another week here...still have two bags packed and a couple of boxes full to send home via DHL when the "time" comes...I am a realist folks, and even though my presence here is a positive, the economics will soon "kick in" and this owner will "cut" his losses...been there and experienced that already...not a lot of fun...When they start gettin funny with the money, that's when it's time to check flight schedules and have a really nice "last supper" before morning departure the next day...So far, they've been "late" 15 days last month and 10 days this month...but then again we won on "day 5" of due date...I'm enjoying the teaching and helping the coaches with a model that I've learned from my mentors of past years, and it's fun to watch the growth and concurrence of things I suggest or teach on the floor...I'm still waiting for a copy of the stats though...Strange, have yet to "get one" even though I've asked for one...Coach Woods would go cyberballistic if he didn't have stats to evaluate effort and overall performance of the team after each game...It's like I'm a passenger in a car and I sense that one of the "tires" is flat, and mention that we should check the "pressure" to make sure it doesn't go flat...Still awaitin that "rest stop check..."...Okay, gotta run, we play in two hours in Shanghai against a younger team than ours whose record is 2-5...we have a "shot" at this team as they are predictable "passers", meaning they could work for Western Union delivering telegrams...The other tendency they have is "waiting" around watching the Americans do their thing one on one, meaning their spacing is poor which allows one person to guard two on defense and means we can actually HELP a teammate in our rotations IF we remember to do such...I'm looking for some Green Tea that will enhance the "recall" cells of our players' brains...Later, thanks for your patience during a difficult 3 weeks here, trying to blog and adjust to new role...Hope the tryouts go well for the kids I've trained this past summer and hope that everyone is going to experience a successful season...Best to all and I will have an update again tomorrow...Coach tom

Post Game Reflections: October 31, 2007...We gave up 105 points and scored 93, I think...one thing I have learned over the years, and perhaps a weakness, is I never remember the final score of a game we lose, just the "plays" that were horrific and lead to our demise...Such was the case this evening...Holee Bat Droppings!! We came out fired up, went ahead early by 5 in first quarter, take out the "proverbial" gun and shoot ourselves not once but twice in the quarter to go down 8 because we didn't close out on the wings with our hands up...Note to Coach Woods: for the life of the me, I have reminded starters, and pleaded with reserves to "Closeout with TRACE HAND UP on BALL push base..."...They PUSH base really well but the "hand up" sequence is missing in translation somewhere, trust me...I am going to make them ALL take the gum out of their mouths to see if that helps any...2nd Qtr. we have completely gone from Dr. Jekyll now into a metamorphosis that is eerily familiar to a personality that I've experienced before with this team, and "new" to Coach Gao...We are in deep "doo-doo", as we go down by double digits at the end of two...Hyde has made his way into our locker room now and the "look" upon each player's face tells the story: "oh oh, we're going to get beat again BAADDDDLY!! Coach Gao shares his thoughts first, which is really good, because I was about to speak in "tongues" that Pancake would have a difficult time translating...Keep in mind, I am a very positive teacher/coach, but if you EVER play for me and quit on the court because of the following: "I was fouled...I was more open than his shot taken...I got pushed...I shot an air ball...I shouldn't come out the game...I don't like playing with him...etc.", guess what? Don't even bother participating in any training programs or tryout programs that I might be associated with because you will receive the "wrath" and "rebuke" of a teacher/coach that will be worse than any "curfew" you may have ever missed for your parent(s)...Catch my drift here?...Back to Coach Gao's thoughts at halftime...He praised their efforts and said we must do a better job on our closeouts and not worry about the Officials when there is no call...He then defers to me...Here's my best recollection of "Patton-Newell" halftime reflection: "you want to play, you want to score, you want the bonuses and you want the glory YET there is NOT ONE PLAYER here who is thinking about the team and WHAT the TEAM needs when you play...You come off the bench, you want an opportunity to play and show the coach you can contribute, yet you do nothing for the team, your defense is awful, you don't talk, you forget everything about our pre game reminders and you give up on plays on defense...This team we're playing is NOT BETTER THAN US, wake up, be a man, be pissed off to the point that you do something better for the team this half, don't believe that you can't beat this team, YOU CAN..."...Then I went to the Men's Room where it was cooler and the beads of perspiration on a wrinkled forehead dried quickly and I relieved myself, literally,of my feelings at the moment...and the 3rd qtr. was about to begin...We came out physically and that's all I can say about the 2nd half...it was not a "treat" to have to sit there and watch, believe me...I have to confess here, I am sending this blogit belatedly (November 8th) as I now am just getting "back" to normal on a schedule and available broadband hookup in my own city and hotel...I've missed "you" and this...forgive me, I'm still adjusting to cultural differences and technology availability or not...More to follow...in fact we actually "won" our first game on Sunday, Nov. 2...From Jeers to Cheers...Whoopee...Coach tom

October 31, 2007, Wednesday morning, 5:30am...Hmmm, where to begin...First off, upon our safe arrival on China Southern airlines, which by the way, I have to completely endorse as an incredible service airlines, extremely professional and safety first conscious from takeoff to landing...Plus, flying Boeing makes ANY and ALL travels here worth commenting on, I think...Back to the "blogit" story of the day...We arrive to our hotel: XinJiang Overseas Chinese Hotel around 9pm on Monday night...as we enter the lobby, I thought it was a convention of "Been Ladens" as you would not have believed the large number of Middle Eastern gentlemen converged on this hotel as we walked into the lobby...The looks "we", meaning Steve C-Berre, DT, and myself got as waited patiently for our room keys, well let's it put it this way: imagine Pit Bulls in a yard that can't bark, yet they look at you like they would love to "bite" your head off if they could...and maybe they're "thinking" about it later...all the while, we say nothing to one another (me, Steve and DT, but WE know what they're thinking as they look upon us), and wait for the key and trip to our "team" floor and rooms...Folks, I gotta tell you something, I have pretty good instincts, and my Irish intuition here, sensed some real "bad" characters at this hotel and even in this city, and I'll tell why later...The room is supposedly a "3 Star" accommodation...Obviously, the person who rates "Stars" in this city, only ever received ONE STAR as a young student in school, 'cause that's ALL this place could muster in my opinion...It smelled of cigarettes, the bathroom was an interesting "addon" development, that gave you the impression of a "to be continued..." at some point...this century...

Dinner at a terrific restaurant next to the hotel...Remember I mentioned how it was expessed to us to "take food with us", because there are no good restaurants and the hotel food is not so good, also?" Well, that is FAR from the truth...I joined Head Coach Gao and Asst. Coach Chiang to this Muslim Restaurant (20 yards from our hotel), and let me tell you something: FANTABULOUS!! Coach Gao ordered a dish called "Chiao Mian Pian", a pasta enriched with some spices and vegetables with lamb pieces that was delicious...plus, I had ordered 3 lamb kabobs that were excellent also...So, I went to Pancake afterwards and told him: "Pancake, you were wrong: there is excellent food in this city as the coaches and myself had a wonderful meal together..."...He was shocked to hear this, and then heard from the other players that they too had enjoyed a really good dinner...I am learning to NOT trust the "opinions" of the people who leave their own confines and travel to another locale...They're not always correct in their assessments...Good lesson to learn...Anyway, this Muslim city is a "stopover" for many Middle Easterners, Lord knows where they are going, but I will tell you this: DO NOT TRAVEL TO THIS PART OF CHINA at this time or anytime, as the "spirit" one would sense here is very dangerous...I believe that there ARE certain undesirable characters residing here under the 'guise' of their religion and beliefs, until...yes, UNTIL??? This notion/sense I had was confirmed when Coach Gao addressed the team before practice yesterday, and told the team to be very careful, NOT to leave the hotel alone, and never leave without asking the coaches first...THEN he addressed us, the Americans..."there are terrorists living here, and they are dangerous people, so please be careful...do not go somewhere without us being around...these visitors are not nice people..."...Well, you can imagine the "look" C-Berre and DT gave me and the goose bumps my scalp expressed when I heard this translation...Now, I understood "why" we had an armed security guard on our floor and the other 11 floors did not...and this "security" guard was military and his relief dressed in sport coat and tie...I decided that my "room with a view" was probably not a good location, and changed with Coach Gao, mainly because on our floor there were several Middle Easterners staying next to me the next before and were loud and louder until about 3:30am...I decided that there was no way I would stay in that room another night...Coach Gao, what a guy, offered his room in exchange...I gladly accepted...slept like a puppy last night...

We play tonight versus Xin Jiang, who won their first game at home `105-102...they have a former NBA Chinese player on their team, Bateer, who is 33 and still playing, slowly, but effectively at his size 7'2" 290lbs. in this league...They also have two Americans, one from the U of Oregon, David Jackson, whom I've known over the last several years and enjoyed working with him one summer when he transferred from U of Utah to the Ducks back in the summer of '99...He's an outstanding shooter and scorer as a 2 Guard...He should do well in this league...The other American, Brandon Cole, is 6'9", and works hard as well...should be a good matchup...Last night, I forgot to mention, we watched the replay of our first game and then had a team meeting afterwards...it was a great revelation and meeting trust me...Coach Gao is such a good person and teacher...He mentioned to the players about my concerns before the game with the distractions and then the money on the table before we went out, and said it was also 'his' first time ever to see something like that by an owner...but didn't realize how it may have affected our concentration like I suggested...I was asked to say something after we watched the film and he spoke about the statistics and his thoughts on the game, and I deferred to the other coaches...then when the coaches finished, Coach Gao opened up the floor and wanted input from the players, which in my opinion is ALWAYS recommended when players are distracted and/or not playing with a clear mind....Several players spoke and spoke well, including the two American players, both of whom saw on film that they indeed could have played much better than they did...This was a GREAT meeting...then all of a sudden, Coach Gao WANTS ME to conclude the meeting with my "final" thoughts...He asked me TWICE to please share what I think...So, here's what I said: "Basketball is a game of mistakes and the key to success is not making the same mistake twice, whether on offense of defense...The "next" thing I shared is that when you play professional basketball there two measures of reflection that help players and teams understand what they must continue to improve upon: one is video, it tells no lies, it shows all the mistakes, all the great plays and some of the not-so-great plays of a game...the other is the post game statistics, as they record minutes played, efficiency or not, and more importantly "what" you each can do to improve upon in the next game.." Then I finished my two cents worth with this: you are only recognized by your best effort game in game out...the great thing about basketball is that YOU CAN play better the next time out BECAUSE you have control over this very important aspect of your game and the team's performance overall...With that coached smiled, thanked me and we were gone...Quite an experience I am having now, folks, this is a GREAT collection of young basketball players and experienced coaches that I am truly grateful for the opportunity to learn from and hopefully contribute towards the season's success...Will let you know how we did later vs. Xin Jiang...

Shootaround this morning...11am-12pm...ran into DJax and Brandon...DJax said that it's been difficult in transition here, as he stays close to his room (hotel), and doesn't go out at night in this city...I cannot imagine two American citizens, athletes as that, staying very long in this city, knowing that there are people who despise our country and its democracy...I ain't one to discuss politics, mind you, and those of you who know me well, never venture into that area of conversation with me, which I respect and appreciate very much...BUT...I will say this, hearing a fellow Patriot share with us (DT and myself) his genuine concern for his safety and what he's heard about the "visitors" here in this city, it makes you wonder every time you step out into the public spectrum, either socially or professionally...Told David to be "strong, be vigilant and make them respect you by your play and the respect you have for the game...you are an ambassador now, accept the challenge..."...He smiled and said "I hear you coach, I hear you...I'll be alright..."...Both players said that the team is not "together" at all...they have a lot of internal issues between coach and players, and it's like something new everyday...DT looked at me and I to him, and we just smiled to ourselves, because he HAS NO IDEA what we've experienced over the last two weeks...Good shootaround, players were alert and active and shot well...we'll see if that carries over tonight...By the way, the owner and GM made the trip, arriving late last night, staying at a different hotel...one that HAS several "Stars"...hah...Stay tooned...Less I forget, a 'huge' shout out to my friend "Big D" and the Hawaiian Eye, Mike M, as they did a marvelous job preparing me for the "unexpected" cultural awakenings and to be carefully aware...I have done both...

October 29, 2007...Monday morning, 5:30am...We lost our first game last night, but that was really NOT the surprise of the evening...The OWNER of the team was...we're in the locker room and he wanted to address the team, so the Head Coach spoke, then the other two assistants and it was my turn, but, the owner took precedence over me and I kept quiet until he finished...Mr. Qu comes in with two young female assistants, carrying a Red Velour cover over a tray...they put the tray on top of the table in the middle of the room and he begins to give us a "pep" talk, talking about being like a soldier in a war, not giving up, playing hard every play, etc...Now I'm looking at the "Dissident 7" (sans Abbie Hoffman) and they're not even looking at him at all...He then concludes the meeting with "You will get big bonuses, big rewards for your victory tonight, JUST LOOK...." And with that he uncovers over 10K of Chinese Yuan on this silver tray...Now, folks, I gotta tell you something here, I've been around the world in pro basketball, and this is the FIRST time I've ever had anyone bring in money to "try" to motivate a professional team to victory...The only players who marveled at the tray were the Americans, dumbfounded by the translator's words and also what they were seeing, as I was totally shocked as well, and then I looked at the last 3 players who held out until yesterday afternoon, and they didn't give it much notice whatsoever...The reason for the strike: the new GM tore up the just agreed upon contracts with the players by the old GM and basically told the Chinese players that they would "get their bonuses and many more when the team wins..."...Good People, I KNEW right then and there we would NOT win this game as the players body language told the 'true' story of not caring, only playing because of family and friends, etc...Well, I was right...we stunk up the place...it was awful...the "3" played horrible and without their points and experience we had no shot...The locker room afterwards was quiet until after the new coach and GM left the room and then the players loosened up, like they never lost the game...It was the most surreal experience I've ever seen in my basketball lifetime, believe me...Anyway, I am preparing now for our road trip that takes us all week to the road for the next two games...Muslim cities...will try to connect with you from there...the weather "switch" has been turned on to C-O-L-D now, and I sure am glad, Bo, my son, gave me his winter hat to wear now...it'll protect what few strands up top I have left...

Postscript on Game #1: we made 5 turnovers, unforced, in 1st qr. and still only down 1 point...We started all Chinese players in the beginning, same as the other team, as you're only allowed to play the Americans 3 out of 4 qtrs. total, and only one player can play one qtr. alone, meaning that we would play DaJuan Tate, 6'5 G/F in the 2nd and save Steve C-Berr for the 2nd half...It didn't matter, as we seem to go through periodic mental lapses that I've seen before with this group when I was the Head Coach, and now the new "Dragon", has his own firsthand experience...I tried to understand his substitution patterns with the Chinese players, and it was difficult in the first half...Stretch, our 6'6" SG/SF, lanky, scrappy (most improved player out of camp in my mind), didn't get a minute in the first half let alone the game it turned out...Coach Gao, chose to start a player, Tiger, who sprained his ankle a week ago and has been hobbling on it ever since, and that was a disaster as he couldn't guard lamp post let alone a gate WITH a good ankle...He alone gave up 4 3's in the game, and could not run a lane in transition, thus making our "attack" 4 vs. 5 whenever he was on the court...Cash, our "money" man, who really plays hard in practice and makes things happen, never got out of the dressing room, as he was MIA also...This I learned from the game: you have prime time players and those who are matinee attendees, and we got some matinee attendees...I really feel for Coach Gao, and expressed the same to him after the game, sharing with him that our team distractions so close to the season's start is not an easy issue to overcome and expect optimum performances by the team in general...I also told him that we need to keep the offense simple, and not change or go into so many plays, as our guards do not do a good job of getting into the offense anyway...I will find out today if my words were accepted, as Pancake called me to tell that the coach "he feel you, coach, he know what you say..."...Best way to surmise the experience: we were as sharp as a paring knife trying to "slice" a balloon...Yeah, that bad...Overall, our defense in the half court wasn't as bad as our closeouts in transition, meaning the same players who were delinquent in matching up during the exhibitions, manifested the same "spots" again...I was so upset within, I swore I was going to take away their chopsticks...really frustrating...Coach Woods KNOWS exactly what I'm venting here about right now...take care, good people, have a safe, happy week...

Reflections about the "return" of the "Dissident 7"...On Saturday morning, at the team's hotel, we watched a video tape of the team we were going to play on Sunday...Now mind you, I had asked for this tape and the rest of the games from last season when I first arrived...The Supreme Commander at the time, remember him? Well, he had the "key" to the cabinet for such and only gave me 8 of 32 games, and none of the first two opponents...I tried so hard and continually pleaded with Pancake to "get these now, please, we need them for preparation..."...To no avail, did my request ever get fulfilled...So enter the new "Dragon", who asked me if I had any tapes...told the new Coach, that "no", couldn't get anyone to help me there...Turns out the asst. GM who was fired took the key with him and there is a law in China that says you cannot access someone else's file cabinet without their permission, so in other words NO TAPES...fortunately, the day before, on Friday we were able to finally get a copy of one game of our first opponent, Zhe Jiang, and watched it, minus our 3 top players, Cannon, team captain, Wong Bo, best team player and leader on team, and Spider Monkey, solidarity "brother" to the team's leaders...So we're watching this tape, unedited, just a TV feed, and I'm trying to read the tendencies of the players who we'll face on Sunday, especially their 7'2" Post player, Samake, who has been on this team two years now and is long and longer...Anyway, the "mood" of the brood was indicative of whether or not we were going to "play" competitively or not, as it was a somber collection of what was suppose to be an exciting time: the beginning of a new season...Shucks, I was fired up, and have been for the season's start until the Dissident 7 held out...We finished watching the video after 3 qtrs. and then return to our hotel, (Americans stay in a different hotel than the players...??), and wait until later in the afternoon for our final practice before the game...The Dissident 7 minus 4 have now joined us, and it was a relief to have those 3 back on the floor, but there was "still" something lingering between them and the rest of the team...Unbelievable...We got through the session, went over matchups and crossed fingers and toes that we would really "play" a game the next day...This was the reflection of the day before...

I will try to blog once we're settled into the Muslim area of North central China, close to Mongolia...I hope and pray that the plane has no problems getting there...evidently, the "trip" is just that: a trip...Best to all, Coach tom

October 26, 2007, Friday morning, and the drama continues here in Changchun City with the Jilin Tigers team...Just got a call from Steve Castleberry, one of the two Americans on team, who received a call from Pancake (yeah, I know, I "use" to get the calls first as Head Coach, now I get a player calling me with the info...), saying that "practice may be cancelled as the GM is meeting with the players privately and that I will call you if there will be practice this morning..."...Now THAT is a classic story in itself, in that the Chinese players have more "private" meetings than any team I've ever heard, even more than the Bronx Bombers in the Reggie Jax days of old...I mean, c'mon, are we a "team" or 10 players, two Chinese coaches and THEN the Americans? Needless to say, I have no particular reaction to this, other than I think we better win the first game at home or some of these players may be on their way to somewhere colder than what's expected here this Winter...It's really interesting, my non-reaction to this scenario right now, considering I would have been very upset if still the Head Coach and these meetings were to take place without me (one of which DID happen and I expressed to Pancake that in the future I would like to be included in these "special" meetings with Chinese players, "to learn and observe" their reactions, body language to what is being said to them by a non team person...He said that this is the way the CBA is, foreigners are not included in "special" Chinese players meetings...I then informed Pancake that there is NOT ONE NBA foreigner today that would be excluded from a "team" meeting...EVER!! That "team" means just that: TEAM...He said to me at that time: "I feel you Coach...I feel you..."...Imagine my reaction to that expression from a Chinese translator...Guess he's watched a number of HBO movies over the years...

So, as I sit here pondering today's delay, I only wonder about our "new" Head Coach, Gao...I really like this coach...He is a teacher, and a very good one...He is positive with the players, yet will speak with a voice inflection that needs no translation and my concurrence with his reaction to a not-so-smart play...He also suffers from Diabetes at the age of 43...He told me that he injects himself with insulin daily and has to be careful of what he eats and drinks...I gotta tell you, as coaches we do "suffer" some physical abnormalities that GMs have no clue about unless they too played the game and coached as well...What a non-player GM doesn't realize is that we really love our jobs, preparing practice plans daily, making notes on certain opponents tendencies when we're looking at film; thinking about words of wisdom and humor to inspire players, both individually and as a team, and of course the challenge of being technically prepared for the competitions...Once you have this adrenaline "flow" in your veins as a former player, you never lose it as a teacher and coach, trust me...I had to share the aforementioned because I worked for a GM back in the day who was so caught up in himself that he really never "got it" when it came to the people who worked with him, for him and the Club...especially when people busted their humps everyday for the "team"...he was more into making "money" for himself than what the people did to represent the team in the community for parents, kids and coaches...This "quirk" finally caught up to him, and he learned a hard lesson, but I guess he's happy because he's got "his" money in the bank after all these years...God Bless him...

Just got a call from Pancake...practice is "on"..gotta run...will complete later...

Post Practice Reflections: the "cuckoo's nest" is still intact, folks, as what I'm about to share with you now is hard to believe...I've never been one to seek vindication and/or understanding in my many years of coaching both domestically and internationally, but the issues that follow this team are quite extraordinary to say the least...When I got on the bus, I noticed that we had fewer players than the full contingent of 16 members plus Team Mgr., Asst. Coach YoYo (just returned from the U of Memphis visit with other CBA asst. coaches), Head Coach and Trainer, plus Pancake...I sit next to the Head Coach and he greets me well and I say "Ola" which is Chinese for "okay"...in Greek "okay" is pronounced "okala"...language is really intriguing to me as I make my way around the globe...back to the "Light Bus" story...so we now are not making our way to the Auditorium this morning, but going to our normal practice facility, and I don't ask why, I just go along for the "ride", as there is no need to know what is going on, they'll tell me if they choose to, otherwise they'll keep their "personal" issues to themselves...Once we arrived to the gym, Pancake catches up to me and says: "Coach, you must keep this to yourself, but we have 7 players who are on "strike"...I said they're what? "They are on strike...the substitute players, plus team captains are not happy with management about all the changes and especially their contracts and chose to "strike" this morning before we got on the bus...Do you understand this word "strike"?"...I replied of course, a strike occurs when employees are upset with management over their work conditions and wages...I then ask him if Coach knew anything about this, and he said "no", as everyone was to be on the bus at 8:30am to go to the Auditorium for practice...He was shocked and hurt by this situation at this time and "do you feel me, Coach" question at the end of his sentence...Wow, talk about the "nest" that's been built so far this early season, and now this...Now, I knew "why" I am here still, to help this young coach and young team, get through the muck that has evolved over the last couple of weeks...I ask Pancake to join me in conversation with Coach Gao, as I wish to let him know that I "feel" for him now in this current issue with the team, and if there is anything I can do to help him, please don't hesitate to ask me, as I shared that my experiences in the NBA also had players "hold out" over contract issues, only never two days before the first game...He tells Pancake that he appreciates my feelings and that there are no "secrets" with me, that together we understand what we must do to prepare the team and try to be successful, and thank you for staying with me and the team this season..."...Dang, I got one of those emotional "flushes" one experiences when you least expect your behavior to react to such words...As I said before: I like this young coach very much...he is wise and secure in who he is and what he represents professionally...I predict that someday he will become the Chinese National Coach...he's got that kind of pedigree in him...And I'll be rooting for him all the way too, when that opportunity arises for him...It'll probably be several years out, but when it inevitably happens, you "heard and read it" here first!! Okay, so now we have practice this afternoon (supposedly the "strike" is over) around 11:30pm your time on Thursday and 2:30pm our time...And we're headed to the Auditorium...I will describe the archaic "space" known as their arena...It was built by the Russians in 1951 and the asbestos ceiling tiles are STILL intact...Yesterday afternoon's practice was at this Auditorium, our first in this facility...Now, you gotta visualize this: we walk onto the floor, and at both ends of the court are suspended 60'x20' color banners of each player on the team!! And across the floor as you look up towards the last row (this place seats 4500 max) there is the most incredible "sheet" nylon poster of the team, unlike anything I have ever seen before: no seams, no overlays, an incredible 60'x200' suspended wall covering...on the opposite side wall is the another one, without pictures, just Chinese character writings, stating the following: "If we win we will love you...if we lose we will love you...but if you do not give your best effort we not love you"...Now that is what I call true "fan appreciation" for the love of the game, as it is indeed a game of "best effort" and always has been...And this theme compliments my basketball summer program: Best Effort Camps and Clinics, both programs "free" to kids and volunteer youth coaches...Back to the "relic" stage about to be opened again for business in two days...The floor is slick, no not slick, it's a smooth as my bald head, little traction...it's cold, as the only "heat"is radiated behind the benches for games, hah, who says Red Auerbach's tactics in the Old Garden didn't originate from this facility...I am going to get the "Stick It Pad" you see teams use today when they get ready to check into the game...That will really help us and our defensive positions also...I'm going to make sure that it's kept on our side of the court, and if the opponents choose to "step and wipe" on it during a FT attempt or side out play, that's fine...I gotta believe that the materials and item itself is made in China, no? Anyway, it's better than it was last season, according to Pancake and a couple of players...Chubby Checker would have had no problemos teaching the "Twist" on this floor, trust me...One end of the court has a basket that is probably 91/2 feet as the rim is bent down somewhat...I brought it to the attention of YoYo, and he said it will be corrected by game time...The seats on the bench are recycled cafeteria plastics seats (remember those in high school) and let me tell you this: they're dirty beyond grime...I took a tissue and got it wet and wiped one of the seats and the tissue was beyond dark brown, it was just plain dark...Well, glad I went through this exercise as I am bringing a washcloth to wipe down my seat on the bench EVERY GAME...I gotst me some new threads and definitely don't want to have to get it cleaned after ONE game, right? We ended up scrimmaging for two quarters and then did some conditioning drills after that...It was an eery experience to me, as the players were extremely "quiet" and almost starstruck by the nylon images suspended at both ends of the court...I watched as each of them looked at themselves and marveled in their own way to this feature and honor...Fortunately, the coaches are not included in this display...Good thing, I probably would have looked like a "poster child" for the Fuji Film Blimp, remember that dirigible? We got through the scrimmage and practice without injuries and that was a GREAT sign and sigh of relief for the coach...

My take on the "strike" issue with the "Unlucky Seven"? The level of importance to doing things the right way when it comes to administering a professional basketball team is way way low, definitely NOT a priority, as you can probably imagine by now...What will happen to the players who chose to do this? No idea, but I would think there must be some concessions by management if they are to enter the season with a team intact...Fingers crossed here, for sure...Will let you know what Wang Bo says to me about this whole thing...Guess who I ran into for the first time in two weeks? SunJun, the old GM, the Larry Bird of China basketball, at our hotel and going to a private dining room with a couple of his friends...He sees Steve C-Berr and myself and comes over and shakes our hands and I give him a hug and ask him how he is doing and all, knowing full well he doesn't speak a lick of English, so I do what I do best, "sign language" fishing pole and card playing and he gives me a "thumbs up" on both with laughter and a huge smile...Little did I realize this "wizard" knew well in advance what was about to go "down" the next day...the "strike"...Anyway, his "signing" to me was that he would call me soon...not sure if that'll happen, but wanted him to know that I am his friend and miss him...Nice moment in Changchun City...

I keep getting asked about my diet and eating habits...Let's put it this way, I munch on a breakfast bar in the morning, which I am going to need some more sent this way soon, and have my Green Tea, having "weaned" myself from coffee grounds...For lunch, please don't go "oh no, not YOU tom!!" when I tell you where I eat lunch 3-4X a week: McDonald's...Yep...Fish Sandwich...4 pieces of fried wings and thighs and Not-so-French Fries and a large sweetened Ice Tea...The fish sandwich is not bad, as it is the only mayonaised based additives I've found in China...But, I am going to stop this "visit" also, taking the first step today and not accompanying Steve C-Berr to MacDs...I have dinner on occasion in the Western style dining room, which is a terrific covered buffet...The names of some of the dishes are as entertaining as any Chaucer tale, believe me...I will have a list of the titles of some of these offerings and we will both have a chuckle together...Classic!! How are my sleeping habits now? Really good...Drs. Pepto and Pismo (Pizzmo, use your imagination on that one...) have taken a "leave of absence" from my daily, weekly, monthly life at this time, thank God, and I sleep undisturbed by the churning, burning machinations of my stomach...I really enjoy watching the old black and white movies produced by Chinese directors...these classics depict a story of oppression by the Japanese over many years and how this rule and order shaped the country into what they are today: farmers, working laborers, teachers and intellectuals, all independent of one another but ever so sensitive to their cultural ties towards communism...As I said before, their standards and operations, both civic and militarily don't scare me or bother me as much as our dependence globally upon their resources for manufacturing goods, at the expense of cheap labor...The need for equal rights when it comes to a salary structure is something that will be the greatest challenge and achievement this country could ever experience, in my opinion, and that doesn't mean much here...This city is well maintained and kept clean, for the most part...other parts of the city have structural and plumbing necessities, that I am not sure will ever get the attention it demands until their currency comes in line with the Euro and Dollar...Imagine this: One US dollar equals 7.50 Yuan...One US Dollar in Russia equals 25 Rubles...3 Chinese Yuans equals ONE Russian Ruble...and yet this country has over 9 Trillion Dollars in their coffers...No wonder we "mint" currency as often as we do, it would be too easy today to counterfeit our dollars...Right now, in China, they have a HUGE issue of counterfeit currency affecting the common folks...Everytime I use Chinese Yuan to pay for something they always inspect it first, to check for counterfeit...Street vendors evidently are the "preyed-upon" victims here in China, as their lives are one without a proper education nor the advantage of news information, thus relying on visits from Police and other civil servants who have to communicate and investigate their business transactions and get descriptions, etc...Okay, I'm tired now, and my fingertips feel like a pianist's after a couple of hours practicing "new" notes he's created for music...Less I forget, Papasan Pete Newell and my younger brother, Roger, live together in Rancho Sante Fe, California, where the firestorm raged for days this past week, and had to evacuate their townhome on Monday morning...For awhile there, we had no idea where they relocated to in SD, but finally got information yesterday that they were safe from harm's way...I spoke with Papasan this morning, afternoon his time, and he was quite talkative, sharing with me how upset that he couldn't have come back two days earlier as the fire didn't get "that close" to us...He was more worried about his personal effects in his home and some guys sneaking into the development and stealing items from him and his neighbors...Nothing to report there, all household effects in order and no imminent danger from the fire at this time...He did bemoan the fact that "can you imagine this, I had to pay $175 per night to sleep in a hotel!! I mean, for what? The water is the same, the soap hasn't changed, the bed wasn't that good, and they charge you $175..."...Told him he'd probably be able to get a writeoff since he was displaced and all...He liked hearing that part...by the way, he's 92 strong years old...haha...Shout outs again to C-Berr's Moms, Barbara, sorry my blogging hasn't been as steady as your desire to read what's happening in Changchun...hope this update helps you...You got a wonderful son in Steve...He's a GREAT young man, and you should be so proud...He works his tail off everyday, and tries to improve his game at both ends of the court...I realize now that he has never really been taught Post Play in his young basketball career...He's making remarkable strides, taking his game up a "notch"...Shout out to my family, especially Bo, who is prepping for the GMAT Test to enter grad school for business...Shout out to Big D, hope his trip to the fair ways of the Oregon coast was fun and relaxing, and the last shoutouts to Greg Witt his family, and Larry Stone, the "Stoneman" who built the platforms for our exposition game last June...remember that event? The 11' hoop game? Still think about that event often...I'm hoping my Eastside Catholic Crusaders will have a great post season in football this year, as they have an excellent teacher/coach/model in Bill Marsh and his staff...Blessings to all, thanks for sending me your emails and support thoughts...I love them all...Coach tom

Thursday evening, October 18, 2007...8:11pm...Just when you think life is a puzzle, you find out why there is a night and a day...a yen/yang...bad/evil...rich/poor...happy/sad...rain/sunshine...crazy/sane...to be or not to be...THAT is the question here...whew!!

This morning, I received a telephone call from, Pancake, my esteemed translator whom I have adopted already...I nicknamed him a long time ago, "Shortstack", because he is all of 4'8" tall, and the most incredible young person I've met, besides the players on the team...Talk about someone who "sees" no evil...speaks no evil...and hears no evil, Pancake is "da man"...no question about it...So, back to this morning...he calls about an hour before we normally leave for the gym and practice each morning...He tells me that: "My Coach tom, this is Pancake, the new General Manager wants you to lead the practice this morning and he will meet with you this afternoon, okay...thank you..."...I said to Pancake: "Whoa Nellie...slow down, he wants me to "WHAT?"..."please lead practice this morning as he would like to meet you this afternoon before afternoon practice..."...I started laughing and Pancake says, "Coach, why do you laugh?"...I tell him that he informed me last night that I am no longer the Head Coach and will be replaced by Coach Gao, former Head Coach of the Jilin Tigers in '03 when they finished in the Top 3, and haven't been back since to Playoffs...Pancake then said, "Coach, this is China, we do things differently here, I know, but this is what I was asked to translate and tell you his wishes..."...I said, no problem, Pancake, I am professional and will do what is asked of me until I am not asked anymore...

Practice: so, I get to our van and there is Steve Castleberry and DaJuan sitting in the van to wait for me, along with the Asst. coach, the new one, Coach Chong...So, I get in and tell the two Americans what is going down this morning and that I am coaching the last practice today...They both were shaking their heads and wondering what in the world is going on...Keep in mind, that I chose to invite them both the night before to my visit with Pancake, as I wanted them to experience how to accept bad news and react to it, as opposed to panicking and going off...It was a great experience for them to learn from, one that will eventually happen in their own professional lives...So we arrive safely, "Dale" was in quiet, almost cautionary driving consciousness, which is scary in itself, BUT we never heard a "honk" from any opposing drivers...Once inside the gym, I prepare the practice plan, which I ended up changing anyway, only because of a surprised guest who showed up unexpectedly...I bring the team together before we start, as I always do, and tell them that this experience as their Head Coach over the last several weeks has been the most wonderful teaching/coaching experience I've ever had the pleasure to represent...I also compared this "sudden" change and displacement by the new GM as something that was inevitable since I had not met him personally and therefore did not know his intentions, but expected same...We had a tremendous practice session, Folks, let me tell you...As we were warming up, there was a gentleman sitting on our sideline bench, observing quietly, unsuspecting to say the least, and I ask Pancake who this person was...He replies and tells me quietly: "It's our new Head Coach..."...I immediately go over and introduce myself to this gentleman, and ask him if he would like to meet the team and take over practice...He quietly replied, "no thank you" and asked if I would please just go through my practice sessions so I can observe these players for the first time...I then said "if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me, Coach..."...He thanked me and then I went to work...What happened over the next 2 hours was an incredible exhibition of effort and hard work like you wouldn't believe...the players busted their prime flanks like you wouldn't believe...wow...then towards the last 30 mins. of practice, I always work on our presses (2) so we continue to develop "read/react" tendencies that will happen once we implement the tactic in a game...So, here we are working hard, and I decide to go over and explain to the new Head Coach what we're doing now, and how I will use various combinations to help our alignment etc...Here is where I "flew" over the Cuckoo's Nest: he tells me, "Coach Newell, this is a very good press you have designed and I think we should cooperate together and work with the players this season..."...Now I am confused, on the one hand, I hear from Pancake that the GM is going to "make me happy back to the USA" and now from this new Head Coach, that he "likes" me and my defensive tactics...AND wants me to teach him about the game this season...Now, this is where it really goes freakee deakee on me: I've been asked by the new coach to stay and my translator, Pancake, is going nutzo as he is confused by the offer and what he knows in the front office...I tell him that he is not the one to worry and be distracted, nor am I...I told Pancake that this is the crazy world of amateur sports and don't forget it...

Post Practice Partum: after saying goodbye and thank you to the players, I hugged each one and told them how much respect I have for them because of their effort over the last several weeks...As I was leaving a couple of players got teary eyed and thanked me again, privately...One was Stretch, the most improved player on the team, according to Pancake...the other was DaSen, 19 yr. old who works so hard in practice at both ends of the court, and yet goes into a deep deep funk IF he misses more shots than he takes...They both thanked me for being their teacher...Now I am getting emotional, good thing I was wearing my sunglasses at the time...It was then that I had an epiphany about what I was really here to do: and that was to teach...teach the proper fundamentals and of course the disciplines necessary to succeed in life...Pancake informs me after practice that I will receive a phone call regarding the meeting time and place with GM and owner...It's established and now I am prepared from a quiet sleepless night, to meet with the "powers that be..."...So, everything is seemingly in order, and now I await my "fate" from the owner and GM this earlier afternoon...I get a call from Pancake: "Coach, this is Pancake, ( I know I know), and the owner tells me that he will meet with you and the new GM to discuss your future..."...Hmmm, I ponder to myself, intrigued by the comment and translation that we've just received, and figure my interest in this meeting is gaining Big Mo (momentum), and I better get "ready"...Believe me, my bags were packed and I was ready-teddy to leave Changchun City until I heard an unbelievable "plea" from the owner and request from the new GM: "Coach tom, you have been very professional and have worked very hard with this team, and I appreciate all you try to do for me and Jilin Tigers...I made decision last week to change position of SunJun, GM to become VP of my management group, and bring in the former GM of Jilin Tigers...SunJun did not accept this offer to stay and learn about the business side of this club, and chose to resign...I was sad for this to happen...he is a very great person...now, I am hoping that you remember in Hawaii when I first met you, that I asked you to be my Head Coach here in Changchun...Now, I ask you to please stay and help our new Head Coach and GM bring the Jilin Tigers to the Top Division again in the CBA...The new GM has something to say to you, now..."Coach tom, I heard many good things about you and your teachings from the players and people who watch team practice...you have much experience and this team has little, but we can build a strong team together...Coach Gao came to me after watching your practice this morning and wishes for you to be his top assistant and help to be successful with the Jilin Tigers team this season...we honor your contract, and ask you to consider how you may help Coach Gao and the team...would you consider this offer?"...I told them both that I was brought here by both the owner and SunJun, to help teach this young team proper fundamentals and rid them of bad habits as well as improve their defensive understanding...I am confident that the foundation has been established, that similar to an architect, I am happy to present the team to the new GM and Head Coach so they may add their finishing touches as they see fit...yes, I will be happy to help the Jilin Tigers as their top assistant coach...thank you..."...Well, folks you shoulda seen the smile on the owner's face and his excitement with this news...he says that I am the 4th person in the "boat" that can help pull an oar and make the boat go faster..."...I was getting ready to ask Pancake "where" the boat was going, but knew it wasn't the right time...We all shook hands, and I went back to my room and called Dajuan Tate, one of our two American players, and said: "yo, I ain't leavin which means I still get to teach you how to play 1 on 1 defense and helpside defense!!"...D was ecstatic, to say the least...So were the players an hour later who saw me and wondered why I was back after saying goodbye...They all were happy to hear that I accepted the offer to help with Coach Gao, and Wang Bo was more than happy, knowing that I was going to continue to help him develop his footwork and game...

My first practice as assistant coach: it went well, I think...I wasn't ranting and barking on defensive reminders, settling in on observing and listening to the new coach's Chinese voice inflections...He is very clear in his words and explanations, as myself too, only his "style" is less exhorting...I like to use humor a lot and poor Pancake has the hardest time knowing the difference between a joke and reality...I now am absolved from ever having to make him labor over my musings...and reflections...The practice was a hard working session and the players did not disappoint the coach at all...He had the players broken down into two courts, I had the "Bigs" and the other assistant had the guards...It was a good session for me, as I got to bang the doo doo out of the bigs with a Pad that is used for that purpose...I love hittin "C-Berr" (Steve Castleberry) with the Pad, one because he LOVES contact and really does a great job with his balance, pivot-to-the-basket move, and sets a perfect model for the other players to execute...I love this kid as he really sets the tone for work ethic on this team along with Cash and Wong Bo...We did a 3 on 2 fastbreak/defensive combo drill and fortunately, no one got hurt...That drill is one of the most overrated full court drills in basketball, trust me...I seldom have seen at ANY level two defenders waiting in the paint to challenge 3 lane players in transition and something good come out of it...in fact, I have seen and experienced first hand, 3 NBA team implement this drill and watch several players get hurt and then we would have to take a break and move on to something else...Seriously, next basketball game you watch, mark down on paper the number of transition plays where 2 players on defense are standing and then reacting once the ball gets inside the 3 pt. line...seldom if at all...I love combo drills, trust me, but only if they lead to conditioning and skill development that carries over into games...

Postscript after "flyby" : I'm fine, nothing has changed per se, other than I am not the HC anymore, which I have/had no control over anyway...Now, I get to continue with my work, even more defined now, as I can connect individually with each player's skills, whereas as a Head Coach, you don't have that luxury as you wish you might have...So now I have to unpack my freakin bags, hang clothes in the closet and get excited again that I can wear my new "threads" this season...whoopeedoo!! I will be sure to send a pic of this nice suit I got last week...One day at a time now, I guess...I'll just do whatever I can to help this team back to respectability...been there done that, and it's an easy role for me to fulfill...Less I forget: here's to a BIG SHOUTOUT to C-Berr's Moms, Barb, who loves to read this "blogit' of mine or should I say she takes two advils and THEN reads it...hah...hi to all, thanks for your support and reactions of late...you guys are the best...also huge "props" to my family who have learned through the international years with me, to expect the unexpected, and that it truly "is what it is and you roll with it one way or another..."...Dang these callouses (sp) were just about "healed" from my Greek and Japan experiences...no, I am happy where I am, although I miss my family and grandson, Carter and his family as well as my friends in Seattle...Hey Larry Stoneman, thanx for your email, Brother...you too, Big D...and of course the Jorgs...much love and peace in your daily lives, Coach tom

October 17, 2007, 8:45pm, Wednesday...Well, what I suspected or intuitively "knew" from reading the outside behavior of this new owner, the new GM has sent Pancake with a "short stack" to inform me that he (new GM) is bringing in his own coach from 4 years ago, a Chinese coach, that finished 3rd out of 15 teams at the time...I have not heard a word from the owner since he introduced the "new" assistant coach last week, unbeknownst to me and the old GM, SunJun...I have a meeting tomorrow with the new GM and we're going to have a discussion regarding my contract and whether or not I will continue to be involved with the team on a consulting basis or other position...We'll see what they have contrived for this meeting and disposition...Folks, I be fine, no worries here, I have made tremendous strides with each player in their understanding of the game and improved their skills so that "someone" else can reap the harvest later...I can honestly say, "I was truly professional and brought "it" every day...the players will hear me without seeing me when they make a mistake on defense...now that is something to behold for services rendered in my book...Pancake was very upset and yet I let him down gently, saying that he must remember that he too will face some day where an owner or GM will say goodbye, thank you, and you have no control over that decision...So, it is important to remember those players, people in the office and others who helped you be successful and always remain loyal to them...that is professional...Poor fella, his GM and Asst. GM are gone, his Team Leader also, 3 people that taught him many lessons about the business of Chinese basketball, all gone...He was like a kite in the wind without string, I really felt for him...Upon reflection, I have no regrets and animosities towards anyone or anything here, just disappointment in the lack of organization, structure in scheduling, and of course in how they "don't" communicate between coach and management if you're a foreigner...Been there before, so nothing new from that end, just a small quizzical shake of the head and a smile to myself, muttering: "this is a 'new' one for sure, 10 days before the season begins...wow..."...Word is, this new GM has already brought in new sponsors...Evidently, I was in the newspapers here, pictures and all with the speculation that the old coach who was with the new GM was coming back and together they would bring back the pride and success of Jilin Northeast Tigers...Will follow up tomorrow on the outcome of meeting with GM...Have a great day...Coach tom...

October 17, 2007, Wednesday afternoon, 3:20pm Changchun City...12:20am, Seattle...We had light practice this morning for an hour and fifteen minutes, going through shooting drills on the baseline and implementing the drop step upon reception, then open up into a jumper...They did really well, some having never thought about doing footwork like that on overplays...I try to implement teaching in our shooting drills that will help them understand "read-react-attack" in their nominal offensive moves...The one player who really excelled with this was Wang Bo, Co-Captain and the leader of this team...He really listens well, and reminds me of Eduardo Najera, Denver Nuggets player, small forward who "brings it" everyday in practice and game...Such is the "style" of Wang Bo...He would not embarrass himself whatsoever in an NBA Rookie Free Agent Camp...Hope that happens for him in his career...Then we went through our scenarios when the opposing Point Guard breaks down our "Face" Press...the last couple of scrimmages we had some major non-communication issues and left shooters open as the Guard made his way into the paint...It appears that when the ball goes up, the players sometimes suffer from convenient amnesia...Kinda like back in the day, you learn how to dance to the Watusi and Slauson and then the Prom comes around and you go blank and get exposed really baaaaaad for your non-dance skills and more importantly: rhythm...

Our guys go through the "motions" really well and then suffer momentary "blankouts" when matching up on defense in the halfcourt...It's okay, though, because we have time to walk through this, talk about it and correct the miscues on rotations...After this practice we went to the indoor track for some minor interval running, which turned out to be a good "cardio" exercise, as the Training/Conditioning coach called in and said that something came up and he could not make the session...No problem, I told Pancake, the Captains and myself will come up with something to get our wheels moving and break a sweat and call it a day...This afternoon, we have no practice, as this has been the custom for the last 2 years...I don't want to "break" tradition, so I pull my "rubberwristband" and adjust to the custom...Good morning workout, for sure...Remember the "Bird flyover on a quiet tranquil beach?"...Stay tooned...

Wednesday afternoon, after returning to my room, I receive a phone call from Joe Guan, Chinese national, who helped me initially with my transition upon arrival from the US to Beijing and on to Changchun...Joe tells me that he has some news for me, but wanted to know if I had "heard" anything first...Now, I gotta tell you about Joe, he is a great person, and a good friend, but way way too negative and paranoid for me...Joe tells me that the papers in Beijing have announced that Jilin Tigers will name the former coach of Jilin from 2003 as the new Head Coach, and "what are you going to do..?"...I tell Joe, that #1, I don't worry about speculation from the Press, and if that is what the owner chooses to do, that is his prerogative and I have no control over that...He says, "but you must prepare...."...I tell him, "Joe, I was hired by the owner to coach the Jilin Tigers back in mid late August...I am the Head Coach until I am not...he owes me for 3 months guarantee and if he is crazy enough to let the "Larry Bird" of China basketball go, then he can do the same with me...it's that simple..."...Then Joe goes, why react like this, you must prepare to accept new position if new Head Coach chooses to keep you..."...I laughed and said, 'Joe, you're not listening to me: I am the Head Coach until I am not...I was hired to be the Head Coach and that is my position...if the new GM wishes to bring in his own Coach and the owner allows him to do this, then I have nothing to say, BUT will comment on it later..."...Well, Joe is beside himself now, he can't understand why I am so reluctant to accept this change...He doesn't know me very well, obviously...I told him that I don't listen to gossip from the press and speculation about what "ifs", and that is all we have to discuss here...then I asked him how his family was etc...I think Joe is a very nice person, and I really like him alot, but don't really think he understands "life" as a professional coach...he was once an assistant coach for a couple of years awhile back and hasn't coached since...He may be a little gunshy, plus he is not a teacher nor does he understand the game technically as I thought he did...But I really like him as a person...As of 3:45pm, I am still the Head Coach of the Jilin Tigers...I have asked for Pancake to call me and await his call...I hope to have the owner meet me at the Hotel so we can visit and discuss all that has gone on professionally the last 5 days...I really like this owner, and felt pretty good whenever I saw him, but then again, I'm an American and see positive in all people and things, or I try to...

What's my next move, you wonder? Well, I've packed my bags about 95% of the way, and if need be, can be on my way back IF that is what happens or goes down here...What a shame...we haven't even played our first game and already they've changed the "Larry Bird" of China basketball, SunJun, and his Asst. GM, the Supreme Commander, ( I gotta tell you, I felt vindicated somewhat when I heard he tried to pull a power trip on the new owner, and the owner didn't back down...)...10 days before our first game...Shucks, I just went out last week and bought my first suit since high school and a beautiful black blazer (first since '02) and a pair of black dress shoes, also a "first" since '96, and was really looking forward to opening night...Guess I'll "save" it for a Xmas social or something that requires black tie...wait, I don't own a black tie...I just have WWF (World Wildlife Foundation) ties that I love to wear when coaching...they're oldie but awfully goodies...Now I know that there are parents out there who are excited about this "latest" development, and I can understand why: tryouts are around the corner and they would love for me to get back into the gym on the Eastside and commence once again the training we had this past Spring and Summer...So, I will meditate heavily tonight, and have a couple of GandTs, and figure out the scenarios that may occur and how I will react to them...First off, I will make sure that whoever informs me of the 'change' understands that I have a contract with the owner and team and it will be honored professionally...If they decide that they wish for me to continue as an Assistant, then we will do a "new" contract for more money and I will consider that option AFTER I sit down with the new Head Coach and hear his words through Pancake...IF that is one of the scenarios...Another scenario could be this: they want me to coach the team BUT also want this coach as my Co Head Coach...Would I do that? I would consider that as an option, we still would be 4 coaches less than Coach Ed Pepple's staff!! Hah! Now you may wonder if I have "already" had a GandT session downstairs, and I can honestly tell you, no, I have great peace of mind and a quiet heart with the speculative news from Joe Guan and his newspaper readings...My "meter" is working well, it's strong and a lot of great "teaching" years ahead, trust me, so this would not be a setback at all, just another "entry" in my basketball journals...

By the way, I received an Official Invitation to direct the first ever Education and Sport Symposium/Workshop in Vladivostok, Russia, after the season here concludes...I made friendships with the President of the Club and his assistant, Victor Egupov, on the last evening of our stay in their city three weeks ago...It was then that I shared with them about the Best Effort Camps and Clinics module that we have introduced in Seattle and Oregon over the last several years, as well as other countries that I have been fortunate enough to visit...The Russian Government in Education and Sports Development in conjunction with the U S Consulate in Vladivostok, Russia, have invited yours truly to be the headliner for this inaugural event, sometime in mid February when the season concludes...I am ecstatic to have this invitation for introducing a training, teaching model to the volunteer youth coaches and other coaches in basketball there...This is what has inspired me all these years, from my first experience as a Player/Coach in Belgium, just out of college in '71 for two years, and never forgetting working in small Belgie villages, no heat, poor lighting and kids so excited to have an American teach them the game...This is my way of being an Ambassador to the game worldwide, and I am blessed beyond words for each experience, trust me...Well, I'll "blogit" tomorrow sometime, unless I hear otherwise earlier...Take care, buckle up, stay warm and give your kids a hug before they leave for school...Coach tom

Saturday morning, 8:45am, we're getting ready for our 9am practice...all players are accounted for and this will be the 2nd Saturday in a row that we scrimmage 4 quarters, 10 minutes apiece, 2 Officials on hand, 24 second clock, we got it goin on this AM...We warm up for a half hour, I have two teams, one Red Jersey, the other Black Jersey, and the Black Jersey team is comprised of the players who will contribute the most time and productivity along with 3 other players from the Red team, which includes Steve Castleberry, our 7'er out of Rider University...Our offense is behind our defense in my opinion but closing in fast as we scrimmage at least two quarters a practice during this past week...Our conditioning is probably around 90% right now, with two weeks away from Official Tipoff to the CBA season...The Black Team scored 106 points, four less than what I asked them to come up at halftime when they had 54...We have finally "bought in" to the early offense known as "Denver"...I've used this for many years now, having learned it from breaking down former Nuggets Coach Doug Moe's offense when they led the league in scoring for several years...In my opinion, I have NEVER seen a more simple, uptempo transition attack offense after made or miss baskets in basketball, with the exception of Paul Westhead's Early Offense...Doug Moe may never get into the Hall of Fame, folks, but let me tell you something, he "knows" offensive basketball better than any coach I've ever seen or learned from to date...Our defense had some outstanding "stops" and transition layups off our disruptive pressure system (thanks to Coach Ernie Woods philosophy) and I actually got "goosebumps" several times just watching them prey upon the wing drives by the Red team only to be thwarted by the Black Team's "weakside" rotation and trap or recovery once the dribble was picked up...Did I mention that our new assistant coach was not present at this practice this morning...? Neither was SunJun...which REALLY concerned me AND Pancake, as it meant something "was wrong...but what...?" as Pancake would ask me...Scrimmage was over, teams praised for their effort and reminded to always finish the game the "right way" and not disrespect it by not playing hard to the end no matter what the score is...We had a couple of minutes at the end when several players chose to go half speed and that "caught" my attention in a hurry, but I waited until we finished play...They "got" the message clearly...

Afternoon Session: Weight lifting and light running on indoor track...2:30pm to 4:00pm...We gathered as a team, including the novel appearance of our new assistant coach, and received word from the Team Leader, Happy, that SunJun was "fired" this morning by the new owner and that he wishes the team great success and he will speak to the team on Monday..."..."Splaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat"...

The players immediately went into a catatonic stare, not looking at anyone, anything or anywhere, minds transfixed away from their immediate surroundings, impacted by a language I don't understand yet, their expressions told me that Pancake was about to tell myself, Dajuan and Steve, that SunJun was fired and gone from the team...Poor Pancake, he understood only one leader in his young life as a worker "bee" in the Jilin Tigers team, and that was SunJun, his idol as a young boy growing up and watching him on television...It was SunJun who gave him his opportunity to become a translator last season...For Pancake, today was the most "sad day I ever know in my life, Coachtom...I cannot reach my leader, and I want to go home and be with my family now..."...He asked me what he should do, and I told him that he needed to take time for himself tomorrow and write a letter to SunJun thanking him for his trust and confidence and the opportunity to learn and work under him these last three years..."...Pancake said what will the team do now, and I told him we do our jobs to the best of our abilities until we don't have a job anymore...All one can do is be himself/herself and know that their work was honest, and they gave their best effort...I'm not sure if Pancake believes in "Tomfucious Says"...Oh, less I forget, the owner of this team has not paid the two Americans nor myself when it was due on the 1st of Oct...Pancake says he spoke to the owner and he said he "thought his accountant had made arrangements already..."...Monday is suppose to be the "magic" day...Why do I keep thinking that this assistant coach is being put in "place" by the owner before the season starts...Hmmm, it is what it is, and will be what it will be and that will be that...redundancy in this particular case is acceptable Mrs. Ellsworth (6th Grade English teacher back in the day...)...

Assistant Coach exchange at this afternoon's practice: I am here to assist you, Coach, only to assist you, I was approached by the owner, and he likes you...This according to Pancake...We'll find out if I'm his "American Idol" this Monday...Why Monday? Because he will "owe" both Americans and myself two payments...You see, folks, I have been in this situation a couple of times before on two different continents and nothing surprises me anymore at this time on my "meter"...We'll see, my "gut" feeling is that the owner will honor his contract with me until he doesn't...

Does missing two payments qualify as "until he doesn't?"...not sure, we haven't even played a game yet that counts...Oh, by the way, he also fired the Asst. GM, the Supreme Commander, the night before...evidently the Supreme Commander tried to "pull" rank on him about something and the owner wouldn't have it and basically told him "adios"...or something to that effect...this, according to Pancake...

Stay tooned...I am fine...worried? No...surprised...?...for sure...am I packing my bags? No...will I? No...Why? Because "if" this owner were to change coaches now, he would have done it already and he knows that he would really be bringing "bad" karma upon himself BEFORE the season even begins...And yes, my disappointment in all of this is knowing that I won't be able to work with SunJun...He is a wonderful person, people, and the team he has put together is a GREAT talent base of young players with a couple of veterans that could make us the surprise of the league...Keep me in your meditative thoughts, and if any of the parents out there of kids who I train are "hoping" I come back early, thanks, but I would really like to finish what I started...God Bless America...and each of you...Coach tom

October 12, 2007...Friday morning...Practice has begun, it's about 9:30am, we've been at it for 30 mins. now...So, let me digress, transgress or regress, your choice here friends...Hmmm, how do I set up the visual here...?

An idyllic Caribbean Beach in the West Indies, no one around you, everything is quiet,except for the intermittent sound "waves" rolling ashore... blue skies above, no clouds on the horizon, just the sails of passing yachts...and you're thinking to yourself: "this is great, quiet, no phone calls, no interruptions, tranquility has no ending at this point laying on the sand...eyes closed, it's too good to be true...and then all of a sudden: splaaaat (similar to an egg yolk being turned over by a 8 year old on a frying pan)...I raise up, eyes open only to see the tailfeathers of the only freakin BIRD in the sky...AND "it" FOUND ME...

Back to practice and the pending mental pause that interrupted our practice plan...I was "summoned" to the sideline during a Wing Release/Denial/Backcut Defensive Drill (and we were really doing well with this sequence, mind you), and here was the owner, with an older gentleman alongside of him, no SunJun, GM of team, the fella who is the "Larry Bird" of China basketball, absent from this summons, and my translator Pancake, who has this look upon his face, similar to my look when my first "meal" in Russia two weeks ago was Russian Chinese Food...Anyway, the owner me wants to "meet" the new Assistant Coach that he has hired to help me, since the young assistant coach is currently in Memphis with 15 other CBA (Chinese Basketball Coaches) observing the U of Memphis Men's Basketball program at the invitation of Coach John Calipari, Men's coach there...So, for the last week I have been working well with the team, making unbelievable headway with all the players and excited about our progress, and just like the scenario on the aforementioned beach, I am introduced without any prior knowledge from the GM that we were adding a "coach" to the staff...Our owner then asks to address the team and now introduces same to the players and they too had that same "Splaaat" look upon their faces when the owner was through explaining who this person was...Now, keep in mind, I wear a rubber band on my left wrist to "remind" me always that in basketball one has to be flexible and make adjustments at any time...this was an "any time" episode that called for me to stay focused and get through our practice to the end...I figured the new assistant would be sitting on the sideline watching and taking notes, and after we broke from a short water break, he was gone...I mean, I was looking for him: he was wearing Army Fatigue pants with dress shoes, a vest covering a long sleeve shirt and a smile that indicated he needed to change the filter cigarettes he smokes because it was having a negative effect on the enamel of his teeth...and he was gone...I asked Pancake where he was, and he said he didn't know...Our two American players asked me if the new assistant coach was going to watch the rest of practice, and I said your guess is as good as mine...The beach scene "wipe" after the "splaaat" obviously ruined the rest of the practice...We struggled for the next hour and a half, and my hopes and wishes for a "safe" practice was met with just that: no one got hurt...Before practice, I always meet with the team and review what we're going to focus on in practice and tell them how hard we must work and help one another improve, and this morning's pre-practice meeting was concluded with a 'surprise' from me: "how many of you would like to go swimming this afternoon?"...you should have seen the smiles and heard the laughter when it was translated...I "knew" then, that my "beach" day was about to be perfect, especially after the first four weeks of transition and new skills learning these players have experienced to date...After practice, I asked Pancake to call SunJun, so I could find out what was going on and why he didn't fill me in on this visit and addition...Pancake said that SunJun "he apologize, he sorry but did not know himself that new assistant was put in place and he will see you tomorrow morning at practice (Saturday)..."...Hmmm, I said to myself, "that is NOT a good sign, the GM, the most popular basketball person in China "knows nothing about this owner's move...", where I come from (NBA-wise), that sends me a non verbal message that all is not right in Shangra La...and I was to be right about that "feeling" later...

Swimming Pool Practice: we had a BLAST!! The players were so excited and had so much fun in the pool with one another, I wish I had a camera to record the smiles and fun that was had by all...First off, this indoor pool had two pools, one Olympic size pool and the other a half-size Olympic 6' deep surround pool that we used...We "warmed" up with some leg stretching, then some 4 step sprints with interval 4 step walks, then we did a 4 man "weave" with a bathing cap and believe me when I tell you how much fun they had with that set...I ended up having a contest with 4 teams, having them go down and back with the winning time getting four Gatorades...Gosh, you should have seen how each team was being cheered on by the other...It WAS a Kodak moment and for an hour and a half no one remembered what had transpired earlier in the morning...oh yeah, didn't see the assistant coach in a swim suit either...he was AWOL...not sure where he was...no one asked either...less I forget, I was not in the pool in my Speedo as the other players were, including Pancake...Man oh man, did we have a blast...My "next" surprise will be a bowling party with Pizza Hut pizzas next Friday night...we'll also have teams then...I'll fill you in on that "if" there are no "other" changes in order...by the way, our season starts officially October 28th, at home...I'll include the schedule to our website...it is a shortened season this year in the CBA because of the Olympics coming to China in '08 and the CBA wants their National Team Players training in preparation for this event...So that means it will be over in late Feb. if the Playoffs go our way...My next blog will cover Saturday and the "rest of the story..." Part II...Coach tom

Wednesday, October 4...Team Picture Day...and the day that Spider "graduated" from Pastry School to Technical School...

As a coach of any team, any sport, any time, you always hope and wish that talented players on your roster play the game with a sense of maturity and discipline that complements their athleticism, all the time not knowing "if" the light will ever take effect...Ladies and Gentlemen, my former students/players, fellow colleagues, I wish to tell you that a miracle has indeed happened!! Spider Monkey (his chosen nickname from many years ago) has "arrived"...He approached me today and through the wonderful translation of Pancake, my Chinese national translator, Spider sat down next to me, very closely, and with his hands and eyes (making direct contact with me) apologized 3 times about his lack of respect for what we were trying to do as a Team, and again for not taking the game seriously as he should and would I please accept his apology and help him be a better basketball TEAM player...Wow!! Now, those of you who 'know' me, know that I probably got goose bumps, felt like a tear or two well up, and just thanked God for the prayers being answered regarding this young man's plight on our team...My discipline, encouragement and constant reminders to eliminate the bad, lazy habits on defense (reaching in on the ballhandler, getting beat over the top because of a lack of push point discipline that should have carried over from practice to games), was now established in this young man's mind and he completed this confession by explaining that "I believe we will be in the Top 3 in the CBA and I want to be part of that, coach..."...I told him that I really like him as a person and that he is fun to be around UNTIL he steps on the court or in the locker room and then he continues to act "like you're 15 years old and NOT 25, soon-to-be 26...that for us to contend for any success, we need you as a capable Point/Guard/Leader and I want to help you become the best Team Player you've ever been this season..."...He said "thank you" and I reciprocated the same, and then shook his hand and hugged him before his peers...It was that act alone that I will reflect and say later "the defining moment" of acceptance as coach of this team...It was a wonderful, contrite gesture, that, honestly, I have had the experience before coaching in the NBA and working with high school and college players who at one time or another made the game "personal" and chose not to accept discipline as element to personal and team success...

Will follow this up with today's practices...This morning's, Thursday, was a wonderful session, and I am just a gigglebug right now, because the "light" is on in our gym now and for a coach in a dark tunnel a week ago, it's mighty fine and fun to see the path before us...clearer that is...Coach tom

Ouch!! Korea 72-China 66...2 pt. shooting percentage 64%...3 pt. shooting percentage 24% (8-34)...We were 8-16...they were 18-27...We had a 14 point lead at one point in the 1st Qtr. and played Team Defense the best we've attempted so far...it was fun to watch the players react, they were active, their hands were in the ready position for deflections, we "pounced" on their overdribbles...UNTIL, we fell apart at the offensive end...My philosophy with this team to date is "value" possession, take any OPEN shot you have, but IF it continues to fall short, then we must move closer to the hoop, either by a foot or two or DRIVE...we did neither, but I am not worried nor upset with the outcome...Remember: lessons taught/learned is knowledge gained (hopefully)...So far, I have "baptized" each player into the "fire" of playing solid Team defense and verbally reminding them of such at all times...It is becoming so apparent to me and THEM, they are beginning to realize where they forgot to rotate and where they ended up not being in a help rotation position because they were ball watching...That mistake and acknowledgement by the offenders...err, defenders is accountability in its infancy and man oh man is it fun to watch them look at me after the mistake, nod and THEN make the correct defensive stop on the next possession...Now those are the "small" steps were making to my delight, and theirs of course, because they don't hear me shouting out reminders: "Hand in the lane...Push Up, contact deny...switch out with a hand in the lane...keep him on the sideline, no overtop penetration...The Koreans to their experiential credit and coaching staff, remained steady in their attack offensively, finally going inside on our perimeter switches and our inability to keep pressure on the ball with our active hands, plus NOT slip fronting the Post ups by their bigs, thus allowing a mismatch 1 on 1 advantage that favored them in the end...We haven't had enough practice time to learn how to implement a "GO" situation on Double Downs vs. playing behind the Post on isolations, BUT we will...Overall, I was EXTREMELY happy with the application and effort...Even Hic Cup overcame his "burpees" and played under control and learned from his mistakes at both ends...He didn't pass once behind his back for an entry pass to the Wing...nor did he overdribble and drive baseline to nowhere...Told him so, also...The one person that was finally "baptized" into our new philosophy tonight was one of our Team Captains: Cannon...He "chose" to not fulfill his responsibility on defense when his shot wasn't dropping from the 3 area, didn't make the effort on a turnover when he got trapped and threw it away, not once, but twice, and THEN chose to "demand" the ball in the last 2 mins. when we were down 6 pts. and the point guard called out a "team" play...Now, this was a "Kodak" moment because DT who was the "point" with the ball and was trying to run the correct play at the time told him to "go" and Cannon begged for the ball, forgetting the last time he posted up they sent 2 players down to triple team him and he still forced the misguided shot...To make matters "perfect" for me and his teammates what he didn't "do" next was provide me a wonderful opportunity to show him the bench, probably the first time in his CBA career anyone has EVER done that to him before...it was...Glory!! So he comes out, Cash (backup Big Forward) in, and "our" Captain goes over to the bench, pouting, upset and proceeds to kick one of the chairs over, I watch this not saying a word, and so happy to see this emotion come out, a reaction that his teammates "see" and realize that "Coach newell" really doesn't play favorites, he benched our Captain because he didn't play Team basketball..."...Now, I learned this move from Coach Phil Jackson, early in his Bulls career when he chose to go to "someone" else for the last second shot out of a timeout, that being Toni Kukoc over Scottie Pippen...It was an ugly well publicized "act" of demarcation and "team" defining moment...The play worked for Toni, Scottie sulked, pouted BUT overcame his personal reaction and momentary mental lapse on the bench when he spoke out to Phil and then to the Press, only to be humbled soon after and the rest of the story is that he went on to win another Championship with Michael and will undoubtedly be enshrined into the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts...I remembered well "that" lesson taught/learned for future knowledge gained...and now, several thousand miles and many years later, I have the opportunity to apply it early in our relationship as the Coach and he as the incumbent "captain"...After the game, I had few comments other than "we're getting closer, and Cannon, you will learn that we operate as a team and that is #1 in all that we do at both ends...We will learn together, practice together, play together, and be successful or not together...our goals are simple, attainable but difficult to achieve if we don;t have all the players on the same page...When I accepted this position, I had heard all the stories abot how difficult it was to "get" the Chinese players to "change" their ways, habits and way they play the game...well, I disagree, I am slowly affecting how they understand what hasn't been taught, something Pete Newell has always espoused: "teach the 'why' to you players and that will lead them to a new awareness and respect for the game..."...He is so right, especially with this team right now...We have players who are "buying" in and speaking up, not just sitting back, waiting for someone else to say something...Believe me, this has nothing to with power or authority here, it has everything to do with how can we be better in a very short time than we were last year (11th Place out of 16)...Any "power" to be recognized, will be the team's resolve to collectively play the game as "one"...therein "lies" the power...I can hardly wat for our next full practice, so we can get into Traps: full court and half...I am really blessed to have had the experiences of learning under Bob Kloppenburg and my present day confidante and "DoJo", Ernie Woods...Together, they have provided me with the foundation and applications that have inspired my present day confidence in teaching Disruptive Pressure Defense...go online at Hooptactics and learn the simple templates for introducing DPD at any level...I'm tired, encouraged and looking forward to or next "Lab" session...thanks for taking the time to read my "blogits", hope you enjoy what I am experiencing to date...Coach tom

**Sorry for the delay on the Korean game and being offline the last 2 days...it was difficult to get to the hotel where they have WI-FI setup, and with our team's practice schedule and "other" venue visits, it was not to be...We are now back in China, arriving early this afternoon on Tuesday...I am really excited for our team's progress...We had an outstanding practice yesterday, Monday, Oct. 1st in Russia...We were able to really get into some excellent part method teachings, where I like to use combination Offense/Defense scenarios and skills that will help improve our "reads" on both ends of the floor...We have several players who dribble the ball like they lost a contact lens...slowly we're breaking those habits...Last night the Russian delegation for the tournament invited me to join them and the Supreme Commander, Asst. Team Manager, at their table in the Chinese Restaurant where we had our meals...The Team President/Owner and his Assistant, Victor were very gracious hosts...This tournament was well organized and the people were extremely helpful and kind...After we exchanged stories about basketball life in America and where I've been in this world, they both were extremely intrigued by my Grass Roots training program for youth coaches...So much so, that I have an "open" invitation to return to conduct one week's clinics for their coaches in Vladivostok...I am excited for the opportunity to share the "game" with a foreign country, all in the name of global peace and awareness...I AM blessed!! Okay, I'm tired, need some rest, as we have our "team" pictures tomorrow morning at 8:15am...Was told to "bring" everything that was given to me in a box that had the Jilin Tigers gear...Guess they're going to "shoot" several different shots with sponsor gear, etc...And let me tell you something: this gear is dynomite!!! I'll get a shot of this "parka" that they gave me and the players on the team...It took up half the box...Now I know why I was told 'not' to bring any winter clothes: they won't help!! But this parka, I think, was designed for the Sherpas, so I'm in good feathers as they say...have a great week...Coach t

Let's see...we're known as the Jilin Fighting Tigers, once proud team that competed for Championships one era, but through time and age, has fallen dramatically over the last 3 years...After our 3rd Preseason game, I now know why...After the 1st Qtr. we were down 30-16, missed 5 FTs, 2 layups and only gave up 4 points on transition layups...I was happy with the effort, not so happy with our Captain's defensive effort and consistency...Time and again he allowed 1st pass entry and would wave to me as though he "knew" he was suppose to be "up" and contact deny...The reason for his consistent mistakes here is simple: he has only practiced 4 hours total time out of 23 hours total team time, which is really difficult to learn how to trust your teammates "help" defense when you haven't been through the repetitions like them...This was his first game back...He's 6'7" goes about 230 and is strong, although when I took him out in the 1st Qtr. to give him a blow, he quickly reminded me that he is a "3" and not a "4" (the man I had him match up against was ONLY 6'9" and maybe 240lbs., playing the "3" for the Russians...), and I replied: "Cannon, YOU ARE PLAYING against the "3" on the Russian team..."...He then realized that he ol coach here was NOT going to allow him to get out of playing man to man vs. a bigger, stronger opponent at the same position, that he was going to have to ADJUST, as were his teammates doing right now also...I started our 2/3 player, DuJuan Tate at the Point, experimenting and seeing how he matched up vs. their pressure and his ability to get the team into any type of Early Offense or set plays...He didn't do too badly, as he ran several sets very well and for the most part I was surprised at how he handled playing against another American on the Russian team (J.R. Brewer, from Ohio), who was their Point guard...Steve Castleberry was once again a formidable presence inside, getting bumped, banged and mugged by the Rooskees both ends, but he never complained once, and just played...I really like this kid, my type of Post...We gotta figure out how to get him the ball better though in the early part of our offense as we break down too quickly and look him off once we see pressure...That's my job and we'll learn how to implement the "drop step" for Post Passing vs. pressure on the Wings when our Post players have established position for advantage...Between Qtrs. I reminded the players that we must "match" their physicality and stay strong, don't back down, they're hitting us with forearms and "crosschecks" like the Aussies did a week ago and we adjusted well, same thing tonight: make the adjustment...don't keep pushing down, step aside, pivot, use your footwork and balance to offset the physical disruption...Let's see, we went down 19 with 8 mins. to go and then we started playing defense the way we practiced...we forced a shot clock violation; we switched on all Side Pros (Pick/Rolls); we forced bad passes to the Post ups in lane, we were realizing that our Disruptive Pressure Defense in the Halfcourt WAS INDEED working...It was fun to watch, because it made us score in transition, set up our Offense quicker as the Rooskees were getting upset with one another and before you knew it, we were only down 4 with the ball, under 2 mins. left in the 2nd Qtr. and then we force a really bad 3 point shot from Tiger, that had about as much chance of going in as a Josh Brown field goal from 70 yds...That one shot was the shot that stood out more than any other the rest of the game, because to a man, each player looked at him like "why"...and it was that momentary "mental pause" that allowed the Rooskees to get the long rebound and transition for a layup and foul at the other end...down 7 under 1:20 left in Qtr...DuJuan Tate calls "5 Down" which is a double high 4/5 pick outside the 3 point area, spotting up a shooter in the corner and giving DT a chance to take his man 1 on1 coming off the 2nd High Post pick...He came off well, but had his head down on the dribble drive and didn't notice that X4 Defender was switching out on him and ready to trap or block his shot...Our screener, Wong Bo, slipped down the middle wide open and DT missed him and ended up going up for a contested layup that was blocked off him out of bounds...Lesson learned by DT on that play as he looked at me, motioned like he should have passed, and we both nodded in agreement...I love lessons learned by students of the game...saves timeouts during the game, no? Anyway, the first half ends and we're down 47-42, we missed 8 FTs, gave up 16 Offensive Rebounds, and turned the ball over 10 times...I am pleased with the effort as again we showed resiliency and courage on a foreign court, their Officials and fans and we competed to the end of the half...

My "reflections" at halftime: "I am really happy with our effort, fellas...we stayed together despite being down by 23 in the 2nd Qtr., and found a way to fight our way back into this game...We NEED to make immediate adjustments, however on our Defensive Rebounding...Our frontline is NOT anticipating the rebounds, expecting someone else to go get it, and Steve is not going to get every rebound...we talked about their size and strength inside and allowed them to get 2nd and 3rd shot opportunities after playing so well on the perimeter...WE MUST BLOCK OUT FIRST and THEN REBOUND...our sets are developing, so be more patient with your shot selection, please...we can get any shot we want, they are ball watching on the weakside..."...Then the Asst. Coach, YoYo spoke, and he repeated what he said before the game: "We must not allow them to push us around on the Offensive Boards...the stats say they have 16 rebounds on Offense...that means we are not doing a good job blocking out...they will continue to go to the Offensive Boards this half...we must be stronger...and rebound..."...I was happy to hear my assistant coach say these things, because up to this point I wasn't sure if he was ever going to say anything of substance to "awaken" this team's mistakes..."Lessons learned is knowledge gained..."...tnewellism... So, I draw up an option play out of our "5" play figuring the Rooskees would be ready to Jump out and try to Trap DT on it in the 2nd half, and I was going to counter that thinking quickly...I had Steve come out a little further and Wong Bo higher meaning all DT had to do was come off the first screen with a crossover dribble between legs, wraparound dribble and take off down the middle for a clean dunk/layup...It sounded good, looked good too on the whiteboard, and even when we saw it again before taking the floor the start of the 3rd Qtr...NOTICE TO ALL BASKETBALL PLAYERS READING MY BLOG: "If a Coach draws up an Option Play for you to FOLLOW...then PLEASE follow his/her directions to a "T", as HE/SHE KNOWS better what the defense is doing than you do at any given point in a game...Back to beginning of 3rd Qtr.: Rooskees ball, we "trap" their Pick Roll right out of the box and have the first possession in hand to start the Qtr...PERFECT setup...or so I thought...DT comes down, leftside with his opponent in a loose defensive position and not forcing DT one way or the other, which means a perfect setup for "centering" the screen with the crossover dribble and changing speeds going down middle for layup/dunk...DT does the opposite: because the defender is "loose" he thinks that he can shake and bake him on the leftside without using screen and spin to basket...WRONG decision...as soon as he overdribbled on one side of the court, the X5 Defender on Steve showed help/trap presence and collapsed on DT when he spun and blocked his shot, starting a fastbreak going the other way, layup AND foul and now we're down 8 with less than 40 seconds gone in Qtr...That hurt...DT looks at me, sees my disappointment in his "choice" and not following directions, and comes over and says "didn't I have him beat on the left side though...?"...I then asked him if he ever saw the X5 show help presence when he started his dribble drive and then spin? He said, nah, Coach, I didn't...was he there all the time? "Yep...ALWAYS run the play that the coach has confidence in you doing, otherwise he may never run a "special" for you again..."...I think this was a "lesson learned..." indeed for DT...and the other players as well...

As for the rest of the 3rd Qtr. and game itself...let's put it this way...by the end of the game, I "know" where the mothballed "Sputniks" were put after the clinic the Rooskees put on us following DT's back to back turnovers and their layup transition plays off a block shot and steal from a bad decision pass after DT left his feet and no where to go with ball...We were outscored 54-3 second half and "all" the "spots" on this "Tiger" showed up very well for me and the team to see and experienced...I now know why, Sun Jun, former National Team player, most respected Chinese National Player, even ahead of Yao Ming, hired me as his coach...I think he saw the movie "Helen Keller" with Anne Bancroft, as a kid, and thought maybe I could be Helen Keller to his team this season...Whew, when I put in "Pops" (29 year old player on team who is married and with a 2 year old son), the game was so fast around him it wasn't fair to him, so I moved him over to the 2G and brought in Hip Hop (he "chose" that name because he LOVES AND1 mixtapes...I have since renamed him "Hic Cup", cause that's the only 'hop' to his game that makes any sense to me as a Point Guard...Keep in mind, that we practice passing every day in the halfcourt...we establish all Triangle positions and make all the passes that would considered normal and fundamental when initiating an offense...Hic Cup comes in and the first pass he enters to the Wing is a behind the back direct pass to DT, who was so shocked to receive it and the Rooskee guarding him so shocked to see it, that for a nano-second, the game floor FROZE like, "why?", when you could have passed a two handed chest pass...More to come...I leave him in for 5 mins. in the 3rd Qtr., believing the aberrations I'm about to experience firsthand will erase immediately once the ball gets out of our end of the court...WRONG...He drove 4 times baseline with the ball, no where to go (we have NO PLAYS designed for this "move" at all), and steps on the line twice...gets his reverse layup blocked off his head by a 7'er AND leaves his feet to make a perfect pass to the opposing Center who steps in front of our Center for another turnover...Cyanide anyone? Now I know that the reason Rogaine is such a popular hair loss drug is because coaches all over the world use it more than any other subject...Don't let anybody ever tell you that the most "important" player on the team is the Center...It's the lead guard, the point guard, hands down...Magic, Dumars, Wade, Kerr, Paxson, Parker, Mo Cheeks...you go back in college and pros and the Point Guard has been the key element to any team's success and identity...and the hair "extensions" of most coaches and their careers...So, we give up 101 points...score 73...total forced turnovers vs. the Rooskees> 19...we had 18...probably 11 of which were unforced...They had over 26 O Bds. to our 16 total...We shot as a team 40%, they shot 49%...We missed 15 FTs...they went 24-28...we 15-30...Most disappointing reflection from game: "Calling for Spider Monkey (his actual chosen nickname) to go into game with 4 mins. left, mop up time (keep in mind, I told players that I am experimenting and looking for players who can "fill roles" in various positions, and to "be ready..."...Well, like most teams, you always have those players who believe they are better than the players playing ahead of them, and that they deserve to play based upon "previous" experience, not merit or work ethic...Back to Spider, he stands up slowly, taking his time to get his tearaway pants off, top (mind you, I am watching my watch...45 sec. and counting), then walks slowly to the scorer's table never once looking at me OR the Table for substitution...Keep in mind, his body language at the age of 25 is similar to a 14 yr. old with And1 individual thoughts of greatness and no quotient for the team game, pouting and reluctantly going into the game at this time...lessons learned and hopefully knowledge gained...not sure if the Spider Monkey is "game" for any lessons learned from me or his teammates...Once into the game, he immediately plays his opponent wrong, after being taught the proper mechanics of 3/4 deny, full front on deep post ups by taller opponent, and literally both arms "grabs" the opponent's arm to hold him IN FRONT OF THE OFFICIAL...I didn't have to say a word, as his teammates, Chinese let him know about it...progress: communication and peer pressure is slowly coming around...The next 2 mins. of his defense reminded me of someone in a big room with music playing, no lights, trying to find a young lady to dance with...yeah, that bad...Everything that we established as Team Defensive Rules, he chose the opposite, and in fact, played similar to the type of defense that led the team to an 11th Place finish last year...Larry Brown and "Pop" would need acupuncture on their grossly inflamed tongues if they had this type of "experienced" point guard to manage...Wow...So, I have a Pops, a Hic Cup and a Pastry Chef as my backcourt to work with over the next 4 weeks in preparation for the CBA season...I ordered candles for my room to "light" every night before I go to sleep...

Team Meeting after Breakfast, Saturday morning: Much to my chagrin, and disappointment, the Asst. 'Team Manager took it upon himself to decide NOT to practice today, this morning after breakfast, which means we have no "walkthru" in preparation for the Korean team LG that we play at 5pm, Russian time...I pull my rubberband, and say we will then have a team meeting and "air" out the areas that we need to address with this team...It was a terrific team meeting...I spoke and shared about our Positives in the game overall and then the Negatives from a team standpoint, from not communicating on switches, to not trapping when we were in a trap situation, to not getting back on defense when we were down by 20+ in the 2nd half (no excuse EVER for not hustling in ANY GAME or TIME and SCORE left on clock)...After I spoke, I asked the Asst. Coach to say what was on his mind, and he was terrific...He reflected upon how similar behavior happened last season also, players were not happy having to come off the bench, sitting there complaining and then when given the chance, not ready to help the team...I was so proud of YoYo, the asst. coach, saying this, as he was really embarrassed to see two players act this way towards the end of the game, yet remembering my prediction at the start of the 3rd Qtr. that indeed we would have players put into the game who will NOT respond, nor be happy in that role...He asked me how I "knew"...Told him I learned from some great mentors, Bernie Bickerstaff, Bill Fitch, Ernie Woods and Tex Winter, as well as Pete Newell and Coach K...He probably never heard of most of them, but he knew now what a "mentor" is in basketball..."lessons taught lead to knowledge learned..."...After YoYo spoke, I asked DT and Steve to share with us their thoughts on what they've exerienced so far...Both were very honest and terrific with their candid reflections...DT said it best: "Hey, I was like Spider, I didn't want any coach telling me how to play basketball as a Team Player and how to play Team Defense, I didn't like coming off the bench, or being benched, but I finally "learned" that IF I wanted to play, start and contribute, I needed to listen to the coach and do what he says...or we wouldn't be successful...I learned late, after high school, and have been winning ever since...this is my job, this is all I am responsible for, showing up for work and doing the best job with my effort that I can..."...Steve also was "open" and said, "I was a late bloomer, didn't really have much success early with basketball and then because I was so tall, realized how hard I had to work and keep training to improve my skills and abilities to become better as a team player and that has been my key to have this job..."...I was hopeful that Pancake translated this well enough so that each player understood exactly what came from their teammates hearts and experiences in this game...I was so proud of Steve and DT...so proud...told them both also of same...Next, I asked one of the two team captains, Cannon, if he had anything to say and he shook his head no...then I asked Wong Bo if he had anything to say, hoping in my heart that someone with "kahonees" would step up here and speak freely...Lo and behold, GLORY, Wong Bo did have something to share: "I respect our two American teammates and how they say how they had to work hard to reach success and how they come to our team to help us get better and win in the CBA and how coach tom is teaching us to be better team players, we are lucky to have these Americans want to be a part of our team, and we should be willing to accept whatever the role the coach tells us to accept and work hard like he asks us to do everyday, it is our job...we have conflicts that happened last season between us, not with the foreign players or coaches, but between us, and that is why we were in 11th place and have not been well in 3 years...until we put aside our conflicts within, we will not be successful, we must accept our roles and play to the best of our abilities..." Wow, I said to myself...thanked him, and then went to "Pops" and asked him if he had anything to say...This WAS and IS one of my better moves since arriving to coach this team: "I am one of the older players, and I would like to know that in these last two years of my CBA career, I could be on a winning team here, as it would make me proud to remember my career at the end as being successful, so I please hope that we can work together and you help me to achieve my dream..."...Well, ol coach here waxed sentimental, and ended up getting goose bumps and almost had a "Vermielisque" type of emotion happen...It was THAT inspirational...So, that was the gist of our meeting...

Pregame vs. Korean LG Team: They are a good team, well disciplined, excellent guard play, and one of the best pure shooters I have ever seen and coached against in my career...He played on the National Team vs. Japan in the Jones Cup 2000 when I was the Men's National Coach of Japan...He remembered me, and of course I ALWAYS remember a shooter...They will come at us hard, trap full court (yea!!) and throw a Zone at us, which we haven't faced yet...So, again, we are ready to have "lessons taught/learned...knowledge gained (hopefully)..."...Will file a Post Game report...

Post Game Scouting Report on 19 yr. old 7'2" Russian Post player...He didn't play much against us but when he did, he went right at Steve and banged pretty well and scored on a great pick roll, finished and drew an and one on the play...Before the game, I met the Russian Post Coach, former asst. National Coach Mikhail who is 6'10" himself, still looks like he could get double double but is in his 40's now, and complimented him on his teaching skills with the Post players on his team...He was so appreciative of me taking the time to actually say something like that BEFORE they put a "Sputnik" where the sun don't shine on us...Told him to keep working with his upper body strength and balance...He says he's a hard worker, doesn't "yet know" how good he could be...Told him something that my Dad said many times over the years, "Post players take more time to develop solid Post Move skills because they do not get the same opportunities to "touch" the ball as Wings or Guards, so you must me patient with their development..."...He knew of Pete Newell and the Big Man's Camp...and thanked me for sharing that with him...Coach tom

Friday Morning..."Dreamescape I"...Did I mention that this room has 3 Stars...UNTIL, you sleep on the bed, and then you quickly realize that, "this must be owned by the same group, because the bed, although being double, would remind anyone of a sleepover on "Shag" carpet...yes, THAT hard again...My gluttonous maxim us, yes after all of these years, I have developed my anatomy with great respect to the many epicurean delights that have shaped my latter years now), it doesn't even provide the necessary cushion for a comfortable sleep...Friday nights in a beachfront hotel that has over 200 rooms...oh yeah, not a real quiet evening to say the least...what to do: TV in a hotel room in Russia, now that's a novel idea for sleep, no? So, I turn on the TV and my controller doesn't work so I operate it by hand, bringing back memories of yesteryear when I would do the same when my Mom or Dad were not around and I wanted to "switch channels", later to be replaced with "channel surfing", until they returned to watch their program...I decide on an interesting program that features incredible accident scenes from where else? You guessed it: the good old USA...They show not-so-very-smart adults showing kids how to do something when in fact someone gets hurt; also including footage of "supervised" children hurting themselves as well...It's not America's Funniest Videos by any means, it's America's Hurting Themselves Videos...ouch!!

Can't sleep as my "sinuses" are acting up in this room...Let me see, how do I describe the "aroma" of this clean (it is really) room: think back when the boys locker room smelled like socks and jocks hangin on hooks and the heat's been on over the weekend before PE Class on Monday morning...yep, so many wonderful memories of yesteryears I am experiencing...hope the "old" guys like me out there can relate...if not, take a whiff of your shoes sometimes, tennis, walking or most worn pair of dress shoes...you'll get the "whiff" my visualsh here...err, aromas...

Walkthru Practice this Morning: Wow, talk about a sleepy head group!! We got up for breakfast at 7:45am (players prefer to awakened from a dead sleep and go right to breakfast...that is their custom)...Did I ever get an eyeful from that breakfast...good thing this wasn't an AAU team getting ready for 4 games in one day or 3...we'd a miss the first game completely...We arrive 15 mins. early (I told you the Asst. Team Mgr. would come around...) and that gave us "extra" time to get loose, shoot at both ends of basket, and then go thru our defensive alignment (NOT MATCHUPS) and finish with our Offensive sets, simple, both ends of court, including Zone Attack, Blue Hi Stack attack, and then complete the session with FTs...We were exactly 1 hr. and 10 mins...Most efficient effort of time executed I have ever experienced with a team at any level...It was fun and even the Asst. Coach, YoYo goes "Coach, that was good practice..."...Now we prepare for the game tonight...I told the players before Walkthru not to "pack" a parachute by complaining about being tired, not loose, hungry, etc., ect., rather, PACK your parachute now, knowing that you'll probably make mistakes, shoot airballs, miss layups, get fouled, get knocked down, have terrible officiating, but it's okay, you still get to play and finish the game on your feet...don't quit, visualize yourself being on defense, rotating to help your teammate from the weakside...getting up in the passing lanes early with a STOP SIGN (Palm of hand extended in the Passer's line of vision)...I took the two capts. aside before practice and shared with them how important it was for them to be more vocal in practice WITH ME towards their younger teammates, that I should not always have to be the voice to correct everyone nor should the asst. coach...But to quietly take the player(s) aside and explain "why" coach keeps reminding him NOT to make the SAME mistake...So, I am looking forward to how we withstand a number of things going against us right now: being visitors...hostile crowd...their Officials...their physicality compared to ours...the non calls at both ends of floor...and me NOT taking a Timeout to correct on floor mistakes...This is how a team will learn to trust one another and communicate towards supporting each other through adversity...we'll see how the lessons are taught and learned tonight...early, I'm sure...I am not concerned at all with scores in preseason games as much as I am with our overall effort and working together at both ends...That to me is the key to our training and repetitions: can we build on our mistakes into corrections...can we understand our trust carries over into communicating positively with one another or not...Will file a Post Game Notes vs. Russia tomorrow...Ciao...Coach tom

THURSDAY: Nihao...well here I am again, thinking of a "mindtrack" and what do I come up with for my friends in my generation: "Moody Blues" song, ThursdayAfternoon...Now you might wonder "why would Tom choose this particular song to describe his Thursday afternoon...Let's put it this way, conventional thinking begets conventional wisdom, no? Well, it's a misnomer here in terms of basketball organization and practical application towards continuity...Simply put, the "order" of our day began with breakfast at 9:30am...then we were "told" to come back and pack our bags to leave hotel for "new" hotel above our favorite Russian restaurant, Peking Restaurant...We were to meet as a team at 11:20am for the bus departure and transport to the new hotel less than 3 mins. away...This is also taking into mind that our lunch will be at 12pm and we will depart for the gym at 12:50pm...Hmm, if memory serves me right, we were in traffic congestion ALL DAY yesterday after lunch...so now, we are waiting for the bus and guess what? Right, the bus is "stuck" in traffic and won't be there for at least another 45mins...So, conventional thinking would assess the time and realize there is no way that we will be able to check into the hotel, eat and get to the gym for "our" scheduled practice at 1pm...right? Wrong...we arrive at the "new" hotel and our rooms are not ready yet (it is 12:20pm) and won't be until AFTER we eat...So, we saunter down below to the floor marked "0" on the elevator and see what surprises are in store for us now, eating wise that is...After a "quick" bite (2 chews, green tea and "excuse me" departure), we return to the reception to hopefully retrieve a key to the rooms available so we can change (yours truly and the 2 Americans were already thinking ahead as was several other players) and get on the bus leaving for our practice venue 25mins. away...Now, keep in mind, I am told that we only have a two hour window, 1-3pm and that cannot be changed...so, wearing my rubberband as I do, I pull it hard and let go to "remind" me to be flexible as "it is what it is...and there ain't a whole lot you can do with it now..." reaction, so I adjusted my schedule by simply telling the players once we took the court, that "we have a short practice today and much to accomplish, so I ask you to please pay attention, if you don't understand something, then ask questions through your teammates and assistant coach, because I cannot "stop" to repeat myself over something that we have covered in the past...We had a GREAT practice, the players worked hard, we went into our half court sets, early offense and set plays after Timeouts and made baskets, and broke into two courts, with the Assistant coach, YoYo taking one group and I the other...I was really pleased and thankful the players understood the seriousness of my voice inflections regarding our being very serious in practices...You see, we now have Hip Hop back and he is a 19 yr. old Point Guard who's favorite teammate is you-know-who: Spider...Little did I realize that we had "pastry" class being taught by Spider to our younger players...I love Hip Hop's quickness and his ability to pick up the ball early, BUT his "bowling ball" push passes one hand are closer to a Wild Pitch by Ramirez of the M's than a normal guard to wing connection...I told Spider today that I am going to "enroll" him in a class that will teach him how to "make dough" not "waste" it as much as he does...Went over his head and Pancake's too...I gotta start workin on my Mandarin soon...Anyway, have I intimated to y'all about my concerns with our Point Guard play? Well, it's real and I'm thinking about using a Point Forward concept to initiate our offense...I know that Wang Bo will at least make the right pass entry in the half court as opposed to not...

Fast forward to a "friendly" game between Korea and the Russian Team II...This game started at 4pm...The team returned to the hotel to "clean up" and then come back to watch as we were invited to do so by the tournament hosts...So, I decided to stay, because "conventional thinking begets conventional wisdom" right? Right...I am going to "scout" the Russian team, not knowing that it isn't their Men's team but a collection of Men's level players (19-21yrs.) with other younger players, 16-20...As I am watching the Russian players warm up, the Korean Assistant coach, Rick Ross, comes up to me and says, Coach, our GM wants me to tell you that you are not allowed to be watching this game and scouting at all...I said: "Rick, what did you just say?" He goes: "our Coach is concerned about you scouting us and seeing what we do and preparing for our competition on Saturday..." ...Folks, kids, I started to laugh and ask Rick this simple question: "Rick, are there any secrets in organized basketball once the ball goes up?" ...He smiled and said "Coach, you're right, I know it, but they are afraid you will have an advantage versus them..."...So then I ask him this: "so, they don't want to take notes, right, even though I am NOT scouting the Koreans, but scouting the Russkies?"...He goes, "Coach, they don't want you in the gym watching ANY OF THE GAME!!!"... I then asked the question for him to ask his GM and Coach: "Will you not be watching our game tomorrow vs. the Russians...?"...And he said "of course...", to which I replied, "what is the difference?"...He smiled and shook my hand and said "I got the message, Coach and I agree with you..."...Holy Batdroppings, Kemosabe, I am in total disbelief now, trust me...We've got our team bus coming back with our delegation to this "friendly" match at the invitation of the Host Director here in Russia, and the Koreans are dictating to me, TO LEAVE...Now, I know the world isn't "round"...I ask Rick, to please tell the GM that I am NOT scouting "them" that there are no secrets in basketball and that all I would like to do is watch the Russians...He goes back and I almost started a revolution of sorts, the Korean Coach, whom I've met over the years, a former National coach at that, deposed because of the embarrassing finish (they didn't win a game in the Asian games last time out), threatened NOT to play IF I was allowed to stay and watch...Now get this, the Russian Men's team, to a player were ALL watching as well, as well as their coaching staff, and now the organizer from Russia is upset with the Korean coach because he doesn't WANT THE RUSSIAN TEAM watching either...whew, and I thought it WAS ME!!! I am watching all of this, no one is saying anything to me, as I am just watching the players warm up (Russian) and minding my own business...So the game is held up while the GM, his Russian translator and the GM of the Russian team, Spartak, are conferring, hands are up in the air, heads shaking, and the game finally gets underway 15mins. late, which was fine as our team bus didn't arrive until 4:30pm anyway...traffic jams...I now see why the Korean coach didn't want to have any of us there, as they used changing defenses from man to man to 2-1-2 zone or 1-2-2 depending on the ineptness of the Jr. Russian team's attack or lack of...Then, they employed a 2-1-2 Full Court Press after FTs that was pretty effective and I really liked their aggressiveness with it...this defense allowed them to force several turnovers that resulted in layups as the Russkies tried to beat it with a dribble and NOT a pass ahead...I LOVED seeing this type of aggressive defense as it reaffirms what I've been preaching and teaching the last two weeks: pass first, dribble second...IF you need a separation dribble...The Koreans won by 40...I left with 3mins. to go, didn't think the Russkies would be able to overcome the deficit at the end...Trust me on this one: The Rooskees are going to put a "Sputnik" on the Koreans beehind come Sunday, trust me...Looking across the way, at the GM of the Russian team and the overall organizer's hands in traditional Slavic nature/reaction, I can only imagine what they both said to one another when the Koreans walked away...For once, I laughed at myself, for awhile here in Vladvistok, Russia, I was beginning to think I was "losing it", and that for sure I was coaching in the wrong activity...Whew, thank God for humor...

I am learning slowly mind you, about the Asian "way" and thinking...I'm learning very slowly obviously, but will keep pulling on my rubberband and be ready for "it is what it is and that's the way it is..." syndrome...but DAILY??? Until we meet again, Happy Trails...Coach tom...

*Post Game Observations: The Rooskees have a 7'2 19 yr. old player that is going to be in the League someday, IF he continues to develop as he has thus far...He is a Freshman in the University of Vladvistok, and is playing on the Spartak Men's Team and also developing with the 2nd Team, the Jr. Team each Russian Men's League team has...This young man is quite a talent...he can run the floor, has GREAT footwork inside and takes up a whole lot of real estate with his Post Flashes...at that is in the Trapezoid lane of FIBA rules...I predict this young fella will be in the Draft someday in the next 2-3 years...yep, THAT good...

It's interesting, the Euro League teams favor the older, veteran type players over the younger, in that the young developing players don't get time to learn how to play "up" because the coach wants to "win" now and not wait for the future...It will be interesting to see which NBA team grabs him when he becomes available...Did you notice I didn't mention his name? Won't either...he might have some serious eligibility left and don't want to get him in trouble or me...tn

WEDNESDAY: Niaho...or should I day "DobraeUtruk" (good morning)...We are in Vladivostok, Russia, it's Wednesday morning, just finished having breakfast...errr, if you want to call it that...The host team Spartak-Primoyore "found" a Mandarin-style Chinese Restaurant for the team to have their meals...We ate there last night after arriving around 5pm to our hotel...About the hotel...hmm, should wait a little longer for that description...Back to this morning...I received a call from Pancake my translator, at 9:00am informing me that we are leaving at 9:15 for breakfast, and we will eat on the first floor...This will have made 4, count'em folks, 4X we changed the schedule for todays breakfast and practice...So, I took it upon myself to find out "why" the schedule changed so much in the last 12 hours...Get ready for this one: "Coach, the Asst. Team Manager (a person who is traveling with the team for this trip), he makes all arrangements for schedule, when we eat and what we do...", so says Pancake...I ask to meet with him and the assistant coach and Pancake before we sit down to breakfast...I inquire through the translator as to why so many changes and if I may have the schedule in hand so we can prepare our players properly for the practices and games...Pancake tells me that the Asst. Team Manager (keep in mind, the person who hired me was Sun Jun, former star National Team player and the owner, another really good person), are NOT with the team, but this person is...Now, we must keep in mind that this asst. team manager is in his mid-50's, and was a military officer in the Red Army, which means that HE on this trip MAKES all decisions for everything...I then ask if it would be possible for him to give me a schedule for the practice times that I WAS ASKED to submit to Pancake on Sunday night in Changchun City, which was then FAXed to the Russian hosts for tournament...When we arrived yesterday, our host "Illya", nice young college student, who speaks English, Russian and Mandarin Chinese, tells me on the 45 min. bus ride from the airport to downtown Vladivostok, that "Coach, we received your schedule and we have made arrangements for your practice times and when you leave hotel..."...I was a "happy" camper up to this point, that meant, no surprises until this morning's "summit" meeting with the ex-Red Army Officer...Now, good people, I am an American "species" meaning: I have "RED" blood, a "WHITE" tongue, and "BLUE" veins, meaning that when someone who I have met only once at the airport to pick me up and my translator, Joe Guan, a week ago, and have never seen him at a practice or meeting with Sun Jun, myself, Pancake and YoYo, asst. coach, TELL ME, that "you listen, I make schedule for team the way I want schedule...all changes go through me, you only coach team in gym when I say you coach...this isn't USA this is Red China..." Hmmm, I thought to my "politically correct" self, he is sooooooo right, I AM A PROUD AMERICAN who will always be vigilant as a former Navy Veteran who loves his country dearly and will defend its democracy until I can't move a limb, I will smile at this man, nod, keep him close to me, and win him over with respect and my court demeanor when I do my job daily, and let my model speak for itself...Little did I know that he scheduled "sightseeing" on this trip as well, meaning that we had practice this morning and then went on a tour of the city, meaning 25mins. in the bus stuck in traffic, then walk another 200 steps to the military museum which was interesting from a historical part until you realize that the weapons decommissioned now were outpost weapons protecting the port city from enemy attack...Inside this high elaborate bunker was the museum itself of Vladivostok's history...Wow, is all I can say...the weapons from over 200 years ago were in this museum...no pictures allowed...I saw an 8' flintlock from over 200 years ago...really...remarkable...I guess if this weapon took out the lead horse or leader first, then their enemy would retreat...I mean it had to take all of 5mins. to reload this thing...Back to the Asst. Team Manager...I have made the decision to be polite but he has definitely established the "lines" of where authority is with me, folks...The difference between him and Sun Jun is the North Pole and a Waikiki Beach, respectively...I will be respectful but cautious until I return to our city...I love our freedom as an American citizen, and I love our structure and organization when it comes to communication and basketball applications...A coach "knows" his players, and knows them well, and in this case, my "read" on the players is that the last thing they want to do is "sightsee", being on their legs, walking up steps and visiting places while waiting in traffic on average 20 mins. before we go to next venue...

Our "Bussey" in Vladivostok, today...Let's say this, the lines on his face and the wrinkled expression upon his countenance tells a story in itself...He is quiet and as "ripe" as a Walla Walla Onion during harvest time...yes, THAT RIPE...The tour bus we are on has an interpreter by the name of Kevin...he is probably 25-26 years old...speaks 3 languages like Illya did the day before...we also have on this bus, at least a dozen flys, out of type of formation, looking for anything to land upon and rest, otherwise they circle like Seattle's flys the day of garbage pickup and have become somewhat annoying unless you're into seeing how quick your hand is in capturing one...We just finished our 2nd "visit" to a tour site...The Asst. Team Manager is now very tired and I think embarrassed as he is leaning over, with eyes closed NAPPING...me, I am deep down LOVIN every minute of his actions right now...he blew it, and his schedule too...Fingers are crossed about our game day schedule...yes, he has tentatively PLANNED for us to go on another tour away from the hotel on our GAME DAY...I asked why? And was told again, "that's not a question for you to ask...the team manager makes the decisions what we do, you only coach on the court..."...Beatles Soundtrack is goin on in my mind right now: "Mother Mary speak to me, there will be an answer...Let it be..."...To my good friend Dave Burroughs, he KNOWS where I'm comin from on THAT verse...as does Hawaiian "eye"...Mike M...Okay, I'm cool now, feelin good, ready to write some "other" feel good experiences right now...

Hotel Vladivostok...I don't think Harrison Ford stayed here when they shot Hunt for Red October a few years back...On a scale of 5 Stars, I don't have any ink for "fill" to mark this star down...and if I could? Imagine the furthest star away from the naked eye, a "spec" would be appropriate...The bed reminded me of my "bunk bed" mattress when I was at my first camp as a kid many summers ago...and the pillows? Not sure that any feathers ever made into this casing...I am in room 739, next to Pancake and Doc, the team trainer, great person by the way...always smiling...players love him, respect him and so do the American players...Anyway, I look out my room window across the street and see a 22 story high rise building under what seems to appear as construction...again...as the top 8 floors were torched last month in a fire and wiped out the railings, windows etc...I was told no one died because it was not yet completed...funny, I thought I the residue of smoke on our floor when we first got off the elevator...and I was right...outside our hotel entrance, as I was waiting for the rest of the team, I looked up at our building and lo and behold, there was a room that had caught fire LAST WEEK and burned the room completely, plus wiped out the room ABOVE this floor (6th FLOOR)...keep in mind the floors are wood...1/4" carpet or Miniature Golf thickness and as green, and now I'm thinking 2 buildings, fire history, very interesting...indeed...THEN when we went to our sightseeing after lunch today, I asked Kevin, the translator, what happened to the modern building next to ours, that is closed down..."It had a fire...last year maybe..."...3 buildings, 3 fires...I'm thinking where is the Fire Exit on my floor? Will let you know my 'exit' strategy next...My posterior needs an adjustment right now...the shocks are wiped out on this bus and the cushion I have developed over the last 25 years is "wearing" thin...and here I thought I it was more of a "Rhino's" derriere...I have to keep reminding myself that this is a GA "blogit"...

Okay, wait'll you hear this one...Pancake, my wonderful "new" friend translator, whom I really love dearly, takes me aside and tells me that the Team Manager feels so bad that this "Asst. Manager" talks so much...He doesn't know why he is acting the way he is and apologizes...Well, let me tell you something, I immediately had a "summit" with the Team Manager NOT the Asst. and told him how much I respected the fact that he came to every practice, asked me questions and I felt HE was the extension of Sun Jun, the GM who hired me...He agreed and said how much he liked me as a coach and person...This was refreshing and reaffirming to me, as I "knew" that the Asst. Team Manager had his own agenda, up to this point...Let's say this: I am learning slowly, that there is a hierarchy, and I must "adjust" to it, which I am slowly understanding daily and applying great patience as a virtue also...

Dinner tonight: Duran and Steve approached me and concurred that we "didn't" need to eat Russian Chinese again at the same restaurant...So we stayed in the lobby together, as I did not want to disrespect the Players and others by sitting at the table and NOT eat dinner with them...Guess what? Yep, the ASS. Team Mgr. decided to sit down with me and discuss "why" I chose not to go to dinner...Frankly speaking, I really wasn't interested in walking a half mile back to the hotel up a couple of steep hills on loose rock...I was polite, and told him that out of respect for the players and others we did not want to disrespect anyone by sitting at the table and not eat anything...He said that "they" will prepare Western Style food for us tomorrow...I said thank you...looked away at Pancake, who now "knows" Coach tom and his disdain for this particular person, and said: "it is okay, Coach, our Chinese players do NOT like this food either..."...Oh great, I say to myself, the players themselves KNOW the difference between "their" homeland food as well as we do with our American Takeout Chinese food...

So, ol tommyboy here, puts on his thinking cap, and decides, hmmm, we need to find some good food...And to much surprise and delight, several CPOs from our beloved USN, walk into the hotel and see the three Americans sitting in the lobby and immediately say hello to us...We in turn were also happy to speak to other Americans besides ourselves and I was proud to even have the pleasure of meeting our Patriots at sea...It turns out that there are two ships in Port here and they will be leaving on Friday morning, heading off the wild blue yonder...Anyway, I asked them if they had found any good restaurants, and guess what? They had...a 100 year old establishment, less than 300 yds. from our hotel, no less, and they said the magic words to all of us: "Oh yeah, we had RIBS and mashed potatoes...", I said: "No, can't be...here? Are you sure it was ribs and taters?" The Chief Petty Officer said: "Oh yeah, we ate well..."...Of course I HAD to get that address and location, which I did as they had a guide who was with them give me the name and I took it from there...or so I thought, until the Ass. Team Mgr. did not want the two American players to leave with me...(to the Asst. Team Manager's credit, he was only looking out for me, as it is his responsibility representing the People's Republic AND the team, that nothing happens to me, such as abduction, assault, etc., as this was the first time any of the players or people from Changchun City had visited this Russian city)...So, I stood up, asked Kevin to "lead" me and took Pancake with me, told Steve and Dujuan I'd be back with some good food to make you happy...And I did return 20 mins. later...Didn't get ribs as the 6 CPOs took BOTH sides of the steer and all that was left were steaks...which I ordered along with Mashed potatoes and Steve and I had curly fries that were really good...not much salt, fresh and tasty...We definitely had a GREAT DINNER upon my return...Kevin, the Russian-Chinese-English translator was so helpful, I can't begin to tell you...We became newest best friends...His fiance' who gave us a ride back to hotel, was very impressive as well, as it turns out, she is a Russian lawyer...She went to law school for 5 years...Kevin is working on getting me some real nice "Moscow-this" pair of custom made shoes while I'm here...Let me tell you something: this style is something else...he and a friend came up with it, and it is da bomb!! I will take a couple of pictures for you and send them along...The leather is smooth and the style is unique, and anyone that knows how I "dress" for me to say anything fashionable is a shock in itself...

Tomorrow, Thursday, we will have practice in the afternoon and move from this "smokey" top restaurant into a closer-to-the-water establishment...can't wait to see if it makes "1 Star" at least...I will say this: many buildings in this city have been started, but like Greece, never completed...not sure why, but it is noticeable...Less I forget, on the way in from the airport yesterday, I actually saw more birds, different variety (even some black crows like we have) flying around...really interesting...I guess that Asian flu epidemic was in fact REAL...

You'll love this one: I went into the hotel bar and asked the bartender if he spoke English...he replied "no"...I ask him if he has a bottle of Bombay Sapphire, to which he says he drives a "Honda"...it was then I knew I may not get my enjoyable G and T...I ask him again if he has G and T, and he pulls up Gordon's...let me say this about Gordon's: if you have a lead-base paint brush that won't clean with thinner...TRY Gordon's as it will definitely "clean" anything that needs cleaning...so I tried the "Tonic" and imagined it was Bombay Sapphire along for the ride...and he told me he "drives" a Honda...I need to work on my Russian...no doubt...If I had Larry Stone with me now, Alyson Stone's father, I am sure he would have "found" Bombay Sapphire for me...

The Korean team in the tournament is staying here also...just found out the Japanese pulled out at the last minute, meaning that it is only vs. 2 teams instead of 3...Whatever, I am looking forward to experimenting again with our lineup and defensive attack...Back to the Koreans...met the two Americans that play for them, one from Iowa and the other from Jacksonville, Fla...nice fellows...it turns out that the Asst. Coach of team, Rick Ross, is from Carolina and pledges allegiance to both Duke and Wolfpack AND the Blue...never met chameleon in college basketball before...really nice fella, and I hope to visit with him again during the tournament...I have many friends in Korean basketball now, so it was fun to meet some of them again who remember me...

Man oh man, did I tell you how GOOOOOOOOD that steak was...I only ate one of two pieces and split the second one between Dujuan and Steve...they need it more than I do...One thing I have learned from coaching overseas: if you can keep your American players happy and aggressive, you will have happy times ahead...if not..."the party's over"...simple philosophy, but so true...The kids I teach in Bellevue at Eastside Catholic, know me well, and that is a given when it comes to making them happy to train and take their games up a notch...

I'm tired, bushed, fatigued and ready to hit the pillow-with-no-feathers prop with my head...The fellas across the road, building an endless building, start early, around 6ish...I gotta get up same time, blow dry my hair, and go down to the lil restaurant and get a double espresso...YES, I found my first machine in Asia...I am so excited...I love Green Tea, but when my toes started looking green, I decided a lil coffee bean wouldn't hurt me right now...

Hope you enjoy my "blogits" as much as I enjoy reflecting upon my days and time here...If you don't, that's okay too, just leave the page, it's that simple, you won't hurt my feelings one way or another...For those who "do" enjoy my ramblings and what nots, thanks for allowing me to share what's happening over here...It really helps me "get" through the doldrums...And I really enjoy sharing with you about my team and their uniquely different personalities...Coach tom

*Post Script on Asst. Team Manager: everything's cool...We have a mutual respect admiration society developing after he tried to "help" with our passing drills and couldn't keep up with the speed of the players running to run out for a fast break layup...I think it was then that he "knew" that my job indeed was one of teaching things the right way and structure...we have been smiling since...I have no animosity towards him at all...He greets me and I to him...I will win him over by the end of the trip...Shoot, I'm even thinkin of buyin him a "shot" of something, out of respect...

Post Game Notes from the night before...We lost this exhibition 98-86...arena full (4,000)...Floor: one could hear "brakes" all night as players were changing directions left to right, very easily...

Not a Happy Camper was I during this game as the Aussies decided to demonstrate continuous "cross check blocks" in this "friendly" game and our players, with the exception of the Americans and a couple of the People's players, wilted...sank...resigned...use your imagination here...What exactly is a "cross check block" you ask? It's between a Hockey check (with pads on across the mid section/shoulders) and Football Block, the kind that Mr. Jones from the Hawks applies on Sundays so well...I LOVED it, I have to tell you, mainly because I wanted to see how we would react to the Officials on the road NOT calling fouls; stopping in their tracks and looking at the Refs as though something SHOULD have been called here; backing down; not blocking out on weakside and going to the boards strong for missed shots and so on...I mean as a new coach this is what you live for: exhibition games, new teams, unforeseen attitudes towards adversity and most of all their "hearts" for competition or not, when "down" and failing miserably...I never worry about the score in a game, I am only concerned about how hard the players are playing, effort-wise, and of course if they're playing together...We are young, inexperienced in the backcourt and last night was the epitome' of what my job is cut out to entail: teaching the guards how to lead a team into their offense and putting pressure on the ball at all times...Before I get into the gist of my Post Game notes here, let me qualify one thing for those of you who are gleaning technical information from this "blogit": I don't call Timeouts...I learned from my father and of course John Wooden and Tex Winter and Marv Harshman, that WHEN you call the first timeout, it gives the players an excuse to complain to one another IF things are going south in a hurry and really, when you think about it, it gives the other team the "sense" that you're in trouble when you take the timeout...Now I know there are two lines being drawn here and this is open to debate, which I welcome, but I think you need to understand "what" I'm trying to teach this "new" team of mine, with 2 new Americans on the roster and a foreign coach...You see, I told them on the first day of practice that we would NOT call timeouts in a game UNLESS it was at the end of the game and we needed to get the right players in and set up a special play...It was explained daily that our "work in the laboratory" aka, gym, was where we "take" all of our timeouts to "correct" a problem on the court, as we will "know" to a man where we need to make adjustments and do so...Last night we were down early in the game, like 12 to 1, giving up 6 points off turnovers and transition plays on missed shots...I stood up and said nothing, thus reminding them that we will not panic on the road, we will not take a timeout to correct a team problem and that we will communicate together as to what we need to do to get on track again...It was a great lesson as we realized that the ball needed to go inside to our "footer" (7' Steve Castleberry) and let him make plays for us, passing and post moves...He did just that and we got fouled a couple of times moving without the ball and receiving a pass and going strong to the basket...Now we're only down 12-6, no panic timeout, I'm calm, reminding the defense to "get up contact deny in the lanes halfcourt"...you should hear my Chinese...then the wheels come off again, our Pastry Chef, Spider, took it upon himself to go one on one, miss the layup, then take a 3 ball, then get his posterior embarrassingly beat bad by Sedale Threatt Jr. on an And1 move, and forgetting quickly what his responsibilities were in leading the team at the point...I mercifully substituted him with our 29 yr. old "Pops" (my nickname for him because he is the only player married on team with a child, and the second oldest), and right away we had stability in the backcourt on offense...The only problem was Pops tried to Pushpoint Threatt to the sideline with the ball and that didn't happen as Threatt made the ball appear as though it was made by Samsonite, 'cause he had a handle on it that went right to left very well and very quick to the Officials eyes, but not to mine...So we had to "help" contain Threatt and many great lessons were experienced in the applications of rotations and helpside defense...Again, no timeout, and they had to work it out on the court...Now you might say that's a copout or "how could you leave them like that...?"...well, when you've learned how to swim and you accidentally fall into the deep end, your instincts should kick in at that moment, anxiety aside, and you begin to swim...It's the same in basketball, you must learn how to communicate through repetition of team drills and exercise, and when you do it will be easy to recognize when the situation arises in a game...So, when our players faced this scenario (by the way, we practiced this very situation for an hour and half last practice before the games commenced), we looked but didn't read and react or rotate properly...Fouls occurred and players looked at me, and I motioned to my lips, and they ALL to a man, nodded...it was a "lesson" learned without worrying about whose mistake it was and the running score...which at the time was up to an Aussie 16 point lead...and then by 23 at the end of 2 qtrs...What disappointed me the most in the first half? Our Pastry Chef, Spider...He just doesn't "get it", and yet he was making progress in practice to the point where I really began to think (there's that dangerous word for me again), that he was...This I know about players and habits: they're like spots on a leopard: they don't change...For him to "crossover" to a more defined position, that will improve his skills and his teams', it will be a work in progress...let's put it this way: the Bakery was open in the first half and our Chef did a great job presenting his "works"...Overall my displeasure was more from a reactionary point of view than negative vibes...We watched teammates shoot from the perimeter, and then NOT anticipate the offensive board nor rotate quickly enough back on defense...Of the 60 points we gave up in the first half, we had 16 turnovers, shot around 32% from the field and acted like ushers at a Harry Potter Premiere showing: "Come right in and go wherever you wish..."...

Halftime Address...or Exhortation 101 Verse 1 Game II...

I told them there were no excuses for NOT making transition on defense and picking up the ball early and ready to defend the penetration in the half court...I explained that when I make substitutions, it is for the purpose to develop a "core" unit of players who WE can depend upon when the season officially starts, and that this physical game is a "cupcake" compared to the NBA and Euro games overseas...I told them that when a team gets physical like that early, it is a sign that they are tired and don't want to move their feet and SEE if the Officials will or not make the personal foul calls...The Officials didn't (again I was so happy they didn't) and we gave up, quit, stopped competing, always expecting the Official to stop play and make things right, as the Aussies went the other way for a layup...I also explained that when you sit on the bench and you're given an opportunity to help your team out of their misery, you must begin by playing defense and following the rules of weakside help and rotations...Then at the end I had one of my better attention getters: I got passionate for them and explained how important it was to "fight back" and knock a few of those opponents on their derrieres now and then, to block out better by bending your knees and keeping your hands up for anticipating the rebounds, but most of all talk on defense to help one another not to complain about something after the fact...this rolled over into me addressing our oldest veteran player of 32yrs. of age, and in his second year with the Club...His nickname is Chuck, and he plays the role of the "Mummy" better than Boris Karloff ever did (ahh, kids, he was an old time scary movie actor...good one too)...Anyways, ol Chuck got two opportunities to get into the game in the first half and it was not pretty...Here he is a veteran, not a starter ever in the CBA before, and he is not executing anything at either end of the court with any effort whatsoever...Fortunately, we made a little run and the Aussies took a timeout and I spoke directly to him about "needing" his leadership...his response: "the Officials are not calling anything..."...I made an indelible imprint on my bball MB (memory bank) to be sure to address that comment at halftime...I did...here is how it went: "Chuck, I am not going to play you one minute in the second half...you have been given two opportunities to help your team off the bench and in both cases your effort was lacking in comparison to your teammates...In fact, Chuck, I need you to go see Doc (our trainer) and ask him to take your pulse, because IF you have one, you need to get to the hospital and get an IV going so you can stay alive, 'cause right now you are playing like you have NO PULSE...Do you understand me, Chuck?" He just nodded, and looked at me...I then proceeded to raise my voice to the team and challenge each of their manhood with this simple reminder: "You are a Jilin Tiger..play like a Tiger...play with heart and passion...play with the spirit that has made this team famous for competition in the CBA, don't quit, compete...." And with that we went out and believe it or not did just that: we kicked back and began competing with the Aussies physical play...it was a work in progress watching this metamorphosis take place and realizing all too well that we would probably not sustain it, but it didn't matter, I "learned" that they do in fact listen, they do in fact have pride and that they do care about competing and representing the name Jilin Tigers...the 'only' player who failed in his redux: you guessed it: The Chef...

We lost by 12, gained some admirable respect amongst ourselves as teammates and coaches and held our heads high...I was positive with them after the game and told them that "if" this is the way we can compete on the road when we face adversity and NOT forget the rules on defense, then we'll be happy to man when the Championship season is completed...

One note on the Aussies...They really did come out and literally "kick" our behinds like we stole their Foster's Lager...I was taken aback somewhat, but "knew" this was their way of covering their fatigue and I welcomed the opportunity to "see and learn" from our players reactions or non...

We're off tomorrow morning and then hit it again in the afternoon from 3-5pm...I have to leave immediately afterwards with DuJuan and Steve and Joe Guan our translator for a drive to Beijing to get a Visa for the trip to Russia on Tuesday for the tournament coming up there...Evidently, the Russians don't care that we are working in China with a certification, they want to meet us personally...I am not real "keen" on driving again at night in China, folks, so I might bite the bullet on this one and go by air...The reason for leaving tomorrow night, is so that we will be at the Embassy to meet the Consular and get the Visa and return immediately following the visit there...Sometimes, planning goes a long way in preparation...

Will "blogit" when we get to Russia...

Special Note to Doug Strauss and Family: I am so sorry to read, where Gloria, your gift from God, passed peacefully yesterday...Please know my prayers and hope for you and your Family's comfort at this time are in my thoughts...

Coach tom

Niaho...okay, I'm on the road again, early Saturday morning, 7ish and working on this "blogit"...It's a quiet, less traveled road on this day than it was on Friday morning, meaning not many people are working this early OR just getting a late start...Afterall, they ALL work and have jobs to do, somewhere, sometime, anywhere, anytime...That's the People's way of life here, I'm learning daily...

Bussey's "concerto avec horns" has been a rude "awakening" to some animals and their passengers this morning, trust me: I never knew donkeys could turn their heads around that quickly when hearing the blast from afar or nearby...still no birds in sight...we've crossed two main rivers now and it has dawned on me why the fish they call "delicacies" are pure as the River is brown...Guess I won't be trying "that" delicacy while I'm here...Back to the road again...Bussey is beginning to "warm up" again, as he has matched beeps to my last 60 letters...Why? We're passing through small hamlets right now and it's busy with kids, bikes and cycles...small tractors too...I cannot imagine what this road must have looked like 20 years ago: dirt, mudholes, stuck trucks, no bikes, cars, but the mule drawn carts were able to make their way...did I ever metion to you about the "springs" on this bus? Let's see, try to imagine an old spring mattress and the rhythmic sound it would make as the wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round...Parents would understand my metaphor there, I'm sure...The traffic is really building up fast now, it's 9:30 am and tour buses are the rage opposite Bussey's lane...he is NOT a happy Driver right now, as he is very limited in his ability to pass anyone except walkers...Hope there isn't 6 degrees of Irish in his DNA right now...we're due for a "Rest Area" stop soon...as players behind me are awake again and that means they're restless...let's see how long it takes before he stops...We passed through a larger "hamlet" and this town was a bustling, let me tell you...we crawled through the center as this is where the highway runs, and to the right and left were merchants selling their wares and vegetables and animals and anything else that is edible and can be consumed, worn or shared...It was an unbelievable sight, and pictures will follow...And yet, it "flowed", people not once afraid nor intimidated by the traffic moving snakelike around the them...I didn't hear one horn tone for the two minutes it took to break on through to the other side (oh yeah, Jim Morrison is ringin in my mindtrack right now!!)...I see this, I marvel at it and yet for the life of me, as I asked my assistant coach, YoYo, "this is amazing, people go about their business and so does the traffic, respectfully, YET we can't even run a fast break right let alone play defense...why is that? He started to laugh as did so many others when it was translated...It is kind of funny when you think about it...It's 9:25 and the players are getting antsy...my guess is that we'll be stopping in 20 mins...just a guess...Late notice: Steve and DuJuan (my two Americans) say that we are at 496 beeps and counting....WE STOPPED...it's 9:28am...I was wrong...we still have 2 and a half hours to go based upon the "slow" moving traffic...Bussey got off the bus again to smoke 3 cigarettes...EVERY male (except the players) seems to smoke...it's an amazing scene...talk about addictive behavior...it's in living color here for sure...

We made it back safely, it's around 11:45am...all's good...I was very tired and happy to get back to my room and relax a bit...Watched Jerry McGuire on Star Movies in English on my TV...also have HBO too, as well as ESPN, but they don't show my favorite Fall Sports: College Football on Saturday and NFL on Sunday...Talk about "withdrawals"...if anybody out there knows how I can get online live video stream of the Dawgs, Hawks, Sonics, Seattle U, SPU hoops, PLEEZE let me know, then I can enjoy my Green Tea, watch and listen to my favorite NW teams...

Sunday morning, 6:30am...up and at'em...we have practice this afternoon, so I am working off the notes from previous two games that we will have to address in practice...No big deal, just little technical on court reviews, whereby I put the players in a game "freeze frame" and ask each on offense what they "see", then do the same on "defense"...I learned this a long time ago from Bernie Bickerstaff when we coached in Seattle together and along with Bob Kloppenburg, who was the defensive coach, we, as a team understood where the mistake(s) we're made...Then we warmed up and stretched...I like it because it gives me a chance to help them recall exactly the play(s) we failed to execute properly, and in this case, on our disruptive pressure defense that I employ with our team...This defensive philosophy was learned by me through my mentor on defense, Coach Ernie Woods, Hall of Fame Washington State Community College Basketball order...He has been the most positive and influential colleague I have ever had the pleasure of sharing ideas and strategies with to date...He has a website called Hooptactics.com or you can go online to cybersportsusa.com and link to his site that he has with Coach Bob Kloppenburg...It is the BEST basketball resource "channel" any coach at any level could ever imagine available at this time on the internet...Coaches: go to it...you won't believe how easy it is to read and learn about yourself and your team...

Hope everyone has a great weekend...it's clear and sunny today...glory...Oh, less I forget...last night at the hotel restaurant where I ate dinner, the music in the background was "Joy to the World..." NOT by Three Dog Night Either...it was an instrumental strings only rendition...then "Winter Wonderland" was next...I cracked up...guess they're reminding me early to get my presents now for home to send in October? They 'know' me well...I am the worse letter writer, Xmas present organizer and doer than one could imagine...I usually wait until the last two days of Christmas...BUT...I knew in my mind what I want to get for the family, just don't want to deal with the crowds...been that way all my life...Stay "tooned", I'll share with you again the "latest" music to eat "Burnt to Egg Plant" by...Coach tom

Well, where to begin...I spent the better part of two hours trying to retrieve the previous reflections and had to rewrite the first part of it, as my Word skills and saving wires got crossed and there was no Jay Arnold (my wonderful Co-Director along with Coach Guy Perry of FSLT) around to "save" me, let alone my document...That really bummed me out, to say the least, but I stayed with it and finished a pretty good "blogit"...haven't heard that word, so I guess I'll use it for now...

Bus Ride: my guy, the Bussey is one dynamic creature of God...He is so brave, I couldn't believe the cars, people, carts, dump trucks, buses and whatever else that was in front of him this morning, that he passed...I had sit in my "this is where Head Coach sit..." seat, which I now call "Headache Coach" seat...anyway, back to Bussey, he's about 40 years old, short, great smile and I mean no fear...I hadn't noticed how tall he was until this morning when he got off the bus first at another "rest stop" and noticed that he had "bowed legs"...which meant that indeed he does "have" Brass ones, for adults who understand me here...

Our trip was not going to allow me to close my eyes for a minute as he played something in "B-minor" (remember the 5,000 beeps he used the day before?) the entire 4 and a half hours to this North Eastern city...we're not far from the North Korean border, and yes, it's safe, I did not see one mushroom cloud from afar on this clear and beautiful day in Baishan...The redevelopment that is going on in cities like this one is a sight to behold, new high rises for people wanting to move into the city with their lives...interesting contrast: beautiful countryside, acres and acres of grapes, corn, rice fields and sunflowers at season's end, yet the tranquility and peace of mind removed from urban life beckons their children today and NOT their parents...which means that in 25 years, China will be faced with a crisis related to where do we find the workers for the fields? Mark it down...it's coming sooner than you think...I counted 14 cranes in this 200.000 city, and I'm not talking of the Whooping variety at all here...The infrastructure of apartment buildings mostly is outlined by these icons as reminders of progress where having electricity 50 years ago was difficult to predict...Baishan, check it out...

Along the way: I saw one bird fly across the street so fast, not high, but figured it had a better chance to 'live' flying low than high, I guess...As we approached Baishan, I could not believe the large and I mean large NUMBER of Lady Bugs that became an abstract work of art on our Bussey's windshield...Seriously, I've never seen so many Lady Bugs in my life...coupled with some large moths also, you know, yellow in pastel hues they were across the glass...then after about 10 mins. of making our way through their maze, they were gone, none to be seen and in 5 mins. we were in the city limits...Now, good people, we've all driven I-5 and dotted our windshields with some interesting bugs, I'm sure, but let me tell you something here, imagine having a 60"x12foot window absorbing impact objects at 60mph in the mountains...I shoulda taken picture...tomorrow for sure...

Arrival and Lunch: well, my stomach was calm and Dr. Pepto's advice carried over well this morning before I left on this trip as I had nothing to eat or drink...so I felt I could "try" the boiled broccoli and French fries, not a lot, but enough to give me something to down...There was however one problem that occurred that I am sure WON'T happen again as long as I am coach...We, meaning myself, DuJuan and Steve, two Americans on team with me, were put into private room with our translator, Joe Guan, actually my personal assistant that has been great and so helpful to me this past week...That really bothered me completely, as I did not like us being separated from the team, and Joe says that usually that's the custom here, the Chinese players eat in one room and the Americans eat in the other...I told him never again...we're a team, we practice together, play together, travel together, win together, lose together and we will EAT together...He totally agreed with me and passed this on to the Asst. Coach, YoYo for me, and Pancake, the other translator...I think it was also a 'way' for them to get out of a short "meeting" after eating to listen to my thoughts on what we need to focus upon tonight in the game...So, I get them all at 5:00, when they sit down again and "snack" on something before the game...I'll take 10 mins. and go over some adjustments that we'll make based upon the replay of the game I finished watching on our trip up here...I only had to watch 2 qtrs., otherwise, my "plyos" would be kickin in again and I didn't want Bussey to stop along the road at a "Rest Area" for MY needs...Post game will follow tomorrow...

Hope y'all enjoy my adventures, I'm having a great experience and want to share it with friends and family when I can...Coach tom

Niaho...as in Kneehow as in "hello, how are you, good day"...Everyone greets one another this way all the time...It's the same everywhere except NYC, where "if" you say hello to someone or greet someone you don't know, it's like "Whadya want, Buddy...?"...So, I'll take the universal languages of international greetings, from Guatemala to Venezuela to St. Kitts and the Grenadines to Korea to Japan to Belgium and France to "Howzit, Brah" in Hawaii, to "what up" in Hip Hop to here, Niaho...

The Bus Ride north...Okay, first off, please forgive me for losing the name of the city we were just in last night...I wrote it down and of course it's somewhere but nowhere to be found, just yet...We traveled Northwest though for about 2 and a half hours, leaving the worse smog conditions I've ever experienced in Changchun city...We ended up seeing the outline of the sun faintly about an hour outside Changchun...Along the scenic route to this NE city, which is close to the Mongolian region and noticeably more Third World in the rural areas than what I had seen in the city proper...

The accident along the way...Let's say this, our driver is one smart fella, as he allowed an ambulance to pass him as we made our way North on the well paved highway...You see, he doesn't like anyone to pass him, cross the street in front of his bus OR sneak onto the main street from a side road...This I know, after 5,000 beep beeps and one BIG BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP, he knows how to get people's attention in a hurry...This bus drives like a Taxi to him and he demonstrates it very well...Of course, my favorite seat on any team bus has always been the second one behind the first on the passenger side, at least if there is a problem I have the cushion of two seats in front of me to protect me, right? So, my seat on this trip was occupied by two press people and now I am sitting behind the driver who is hoping that I think he drives as well as any player I have on the basketball court...He's got a point, he drives a 40' bus, and I have guys that drive 40' with their heads down, at least he has the "good habit" of keeping his head up when driving...ooops, the accident story...brace yourself for this one...Imagine going between Ft. Lewis and Vancouver, Wa., and sharing the road, two lanes (they make 4 lanes out of two here...amazing phenomena) only, with the following traffic: motorcycles (prevalent in the rural areas, in fact #1 mode of transportation), slow moving 3 wheel cars with 4 people or agriculture in the bed of the truck, tractors, donkey-drawn carts, two wheel long bed variety, bicycles and of course the "lucky" pedestrian who dares to cross the highway at anytime, day or night...So, keeping this all in mind, and the ambulance passing us in a hurry, we come across a highway North accident about 2 miles up, slowing traffic and allowing our driver to "think" of a way to get around this traffic...He does!! He slows down and begins to cross inbetween the median opening and travel North on the southbound lanes...Little did I realize that we would all meet Buddha, Ghandi, Jesus and Elvis together FROM China, that's the "hot" flash of the day I experienced at that moment...BUT, about 200 yds. down the road, other vehicles were beginning to do the same thing, taking HIS lead and before you knew it, without any Police around, we're taking up two lanes on very fast highway with all sorts of characters and equipment with wheels and feet and hooves, making our way North...We came across a terrible scene that had us slowing down to a nail's pace, as we observed 3 people on the highway, laying unconscious and people gathered around them but not touching them...One of the victims was put on a stretcher, only 1 ambulance was there as well as one State Police car and two policemen, who were NOT ABOUT TO ADDRESS any traffic issues at this time...The vehicles involved as it appeared when we drove by: Late model Toyota Sedan, obviously the fastest of the other crash party, a Taxi, a motorcycle and a pedestrian...Both sides of the street were occupied by locals wondering who was their friend that was hit and who was on the motorcycle as well...Needless to say, the traffic "flowed" right on by and no one came to a complete stop while this was all taking place on the highway, blocking both NW lanes...Now you know that would NEVER happen in Tacoma along the auto row area of I-5, right? You know, let the masses figure out a way to keep the traffic flowing, slowing both N/S lanes in the south lane direction...anyway, it was something to behold...The excursion and noticeable things along the way:

a) didn't see one bird until about an hour and a half away from Changchun...didn't see any animals either, but did see chickens coming in and out of houses along the way...

c) Rest Area: that's misnomer for sure...The Bus stopped at a gas station along the highway, not choosing to go on the property of the gas station, so several players in our party could use their services, or so I thought...Instead of walking towards the gas station and their facilities, they wandered off to an open out house, about 20' long, no doors, no windows, just an overhang (in case it rains) to do their business...I'm looking at this and thinking to myself, "Tom, can you imagine Xavier McDaniel and Tom Chambers getting off the team bus on a road trip and "this" is what they have to use to relieve themselves...?" ...Now you know how I'm thinking "I've seen it all..."...UNTIL, a few minutes later, another bus pulls in behind us and lets off about 30 people to use the same facilities, except this time there are 3 women who are also in the mix...now I'm really confused...they walk around to the other side of the "troth" and there was a wall divider so separate the two sides, thank GOD, and proceed to do their "thing"...well, there are still about 20 men who decide the young trees behind the troth "looks good to me..." would be the easiest way to relieve themselves so they each took a tree...now imagine this...these "young" trees were much taller than the other trees 50 yds. beyond the troth area, meaning that the "organics" that was conveniently fertilizing them was indeed enhancing their natural growth...

We arrived at our "day" hotel, checked in and then had lunch...

Lunch with the Team: I have been very careful of late to partake in the fine cuisine of China's fine dining since my "blender" has been acting up lately...

The setup for our meals is something to behold...Traditional asian sitdown lunch and dinners, has you occupying a table that seats 12 or more people and has a glass tabletop on turntable that features all the food we'll be able to enjoy...Well, I knew better, and yet I had been really careful to date, and thought to myself (which in my case is dangerous: thinking to myself...), "hmmm, I haven't tried that before", and it "looked" good, but Dr. Pismo, yes he lives here in China with his close friend Pepto, told me to "just look...don't taste...yet"...I relented to the wise "instructions" prescribed and had to try a couple of vegetable dishes that were cooked, and trust me tasted very very good...until about 8 hrs. later and then I heard Dr. Pepto telling me the same thing...I gotta listen to that tandem and their instructions while I'm here, otherwise the plyometrics I am exercising right now for the last 3 days getting up and running, sitting down and getting up, well it's really a new way to get into "shape" if you're not into the South Beach Diet...?

Pregame Notes and Postgame Musings:

Pregame was a reunion of sorts, as I ran into a former Sonic Veterans Camp player from 20 years ago, Andrew Gaze, the Head Coach of the Australian Team we're playing these two days. He has a group of augmented players from Down Under, all having the appearance of Aussie Football players, rugged, cut and obviously they don't eat a lot of vegetables and noodles. Andrew has been coaching Down Under since his retirement from the NBL (Aussie League) several years ago, and is the second Aussie to have an NBA Championship ring as a former NBA player. The trivia question is: who was the first? Anyways, we had a great visit, and he is really excited for his former coach P J Carlesimo becoming the new Sonics coach. PJ was Andrew's coach at Seton Hall, AND was an all Big East performer back in the day. Coach Gaze has another Seattle Sonics connection on his touring team also, Sedale Threatt, Jr. He looks like Sedale and has the same quick step and shot release like his father, who by the way, is a Regional Representative for And1 gear in Australia. Andrew says Sedale also has been coaching a little bit with an National Basketball League team Down Under as well. It was great to visit with Andrew as the last time I saw him was 20 years ago, saying goodbye at Western Washington University as we wrapped up our exhibition season there versus the Kings when I was assisting the Sonics back in the day.

The Great Floor: hmmm, how do I describe this floor? Let's see, Dancing Stars would love it...Fred Astaire would have lived another 20 years moving left to right on it, and Gene Kelley would have made a sequel to "Dancing in the Rain..."...That being said, I think you have a "picture" of what we were going to try to do RUNNING and moving our feet left to right on defense as I had asked ALL of our players to do in this game BEFORE we stepped on the floor...The play of all plays: one of our two American players was filling a lane downcourt, just like I asked and got a fast break pass from the guard behind him, he catches the ball, turns drives to the basket and as he does so his feet slide out from under him, landing bottomsides up with the ball and he SHOOTS it, almost making the shot, but unfortunately was called for sliding...err...traveling...Everyone in attendance and on both benches realized how ridiculous it was to even try to play this game, yet I never heard one player from our team or the other complain ONCE...No excuses, Andrew and myself were the only ones who complained before and after the "floor exercise"...

Game Notes: we lost 97-83...Great effort considering circumstances, lotsa unforced turnovers, Spider is forcing me to help him write a letter of recommendation to the Culinary People's School for Exceptional Pastry Dishes Specializing in Turnovers...I told him I'm going to "wait" a little bit before drafting THAT letter for him...He made a pass on a play to open the 3rd qtr. that was "money", and I mean "M-O-N-E-Y", as we have this pick-the-picker play (screener gets a screen next) which was wide open for the first picker and I draw it up for Spider and his teammates...Well, just like it was drawn up with lines and dashes, the only thing I FORGOT to remind Spider to do TODAY was "pass the ball with TWO HANDS not off the dribble with one...", he has short memory syndrome from day to day operations, which in his culinary field will work well, as Turnovers spoil after one day "freshness"...The play evolves and Wang Bo, our BF, is wide open, and Spider's eyes become as large as Marty Feldman's and he passes off the dribble...the pass "hit" a wide open Policeman under the basket who was smiling fondly at a "dance and cheer at a timeout only" young lady next to him...The policeman recovered, fans "cheered" for him and if you saw the look on my face at that moment TOWARDS Spider, you know I was wishing I had a Blackberry that would take dictation and convert to Windows Word for his Resume'...He did however come back to redeem himself mightily as he ran the same play again and passed this time with both hands and we scored and his teammates "smiled" at me...they KNEW as I did, Spider finally "got it", and that's my Spider story for this game...Less I forget, the "music man" for this game was wonderful...he entertained us with John Denver's "Country Road" and Elton John's "Welcome back Yellow Brick Road..." to some Hawaiian string music that was quite relaxing...The crowd: about 4,000...They had a good time, laughed a lot at our sliding when coming to a "jump stop"...Coaches Wooden and Newell would both be at their wits end during a game like this, as nothing prepares a coach for how to help his players to NOT SLIDE when coming to a stop with or without the ball...

Post Game Musings: I spoke to the players and expressed how pleased I was with their effort, each player, considering the adverse playing floor...I told them that do have to do a much better job communicating on defense and helping weakside like we have practiced to this point...That the reason for exhibition games prior to the regular season is to make sure we learn from our mistakes and make the necessary adjustments during these type of games so we can be better prepared when it counts...My translators were wonderful again...I love Pancake (Shortstack) and Joe Guan, both excellent people in their assigned tasks of helping me with my words in English presented in context to the People's players...We gathered our things and went back to the hotel to eat again, I didn't, choosing to stay on the bus and rehash in my mind points of the game that needed to be addressed today before we hit the floor again...An hour later, we're on the road again, and I put away my book of the week, "Coach" edited by Andrew Blauner...what a GREAT compilation of stories by writers who reflect upon their sports mentors who influenced their lives at an early age...forever...this book was a gift to me before I left Seattle, by Coach Lee Larson, my close friend from Happy Valley, Oregon, just outside Clackamas, Oregon, east of Portland...Coach Lee is one of those rare birds in life you meet along your life journeys, who really cares about kids, parents and the world, and has used basketball as one of his many mediums for helping others universally...This book has been a wonderful read...Parents:get it!! Read it and share with your sons and daughters, I guarantee you will enjoy each page turn to the end...

Today is Friday, 5:00am China, five hours sleep, we leave in two hours for a six hour bus ride (by the way, our driver is really good, Kasey Kahne has nothing over him...)...Dr. Pepto gave me some more "additives" and I reread his and Dr. Pismo's directions...They don't want to "see" me tomorrow, so I guess I will be reading my book and drinking lotsa of green tea ( I LOVE green tea)...We should be a little better prepared for what we experienced from the Aussies and their two Americans (Threatt and a young fella from a small Iowa school playing down there)...I plan to "add" a high post release for our point guards to help them get into the offense quicker and allow our "footer" Steve Castleberry to be the passer from the top of the key, that's to start the game with...We play 4 Qtrs., 12 mins. each, 6 personals, 24 second clock (if they have one, otherwise they count down in Chinese and ring a bell courtside...we got 3 shot clock "favors" during the game, as the Aussies don't know Chinese very well...) BUT only 2 Officials...

Take care all...a special "shoutout" to my family and friends and kids whom I have been blessed to learn from over the years when teaching them new skills about this wonderful game as I have experienced it in my life to date...

September 17...5:30am...Niaho...well ol Coach tom here in Changchun City, China, been here close to a week now, IF you consider that I left on Sunday night last week on a redeye from SeaTac to Dulles (yes, I DID take geography in high school) to Beijing and then on to Changchun City, five hours after arriving in Beijing on Tuesday afternoon...Total Flight Time: 18 hours!! I think NASA should give me some Wings or some commendation for being in "space" so long...The reason I ended up going East to go to China was simple: I was rescheduled because ol coach here FORGOT his debit cards/license but NOT his Passport...Word to the wise: when one wakes up at 5am to prepare for travel at 9:30, plus, IF you make that mistake and someone from your family returns to the airport, don't forget the Security Check and how long that takes when there is problem ahead of you in line...first thing one should do is PACK POCKETS FIRST with essential items, NOT two packs of GUM, tom, thinking that you have your money, cards and ID...

Anyway, I am staying in a beautiful hotel, The RedBuds, in Changchun City, China...It is a two hour flight from Beijing...It is in the NE part of China, in the Jilin province and there are two million people that live and work in this city...The smog has NOT been an issue since arriving...I've seen stars and 80 degree weather a couple of days, and it is humid from day to day...

Traffic: this is one of the "9 Wonders of the World"...it is for sure a phenomena for me to experience daily how so many cars continually move AND pedestrians cross the streets anywhere on a block as the traffic somehow, someway weaves, winds and turns itself away from contact and keeps flowing...AMAZING...simply AMAZING...They find a way to make it work...and it does...There aren't very many motorcycles on the streets as they are "fair" game and as each day passes on my way to practice, I realize why...Evidently, the story on motorcycles goes like this: when they issued licenses for motorcycles 15 years ago, there was a rush to get them...those people are now DEAD!! Bicycles? A few on campuses but not on streets per se...The have tri-cycle vendors who work the streets as well and that is something to behold, A Kodak moment for sure...There's no way this "flow" would happen in Seattle as the "force" of traffic cops would retire due to carpal tunnel syndrome from writing so many tickets for moving violations, infractions, jay walking, wrong way, and driving without your lights on at night...The reason: "why drive with lights on..the streetlights show you the way..." Makes perfect sense to me until the jaywalker gets hit by a black automobile going 60 in a 30mph area...

Food: Wow...where to start...let's see, breakfast...This hotel serves the best hot dish trays (covered) that one could ever imagine...It's like a Sunday brunch setup every morning here...My favorite: "Burn to Egg Plant", aka EggPlant...It is to die for, folks, you would not believe how GOOD it really is...I eat it like someone who eats Wheaties and Corn Pops each morning...along with fresh Mango and Grape juice...The noodles are fresh made...I've been eating so much celery, cauliflower, green beans etc., I think I was a rabbit in another life!!! Dinner experience: the owner of this team took myself and the other two Americans (players on my team, we're allowed 2 per team) to dinner...I was asked by the waitress how I liked my "steak" cooked, figuring she was asking everyone else also what and how they liked theirs (owner, GM and translators)...I said "medium well, please"...Let's see that was last Thursday...I am still politely "chewing" on my first bite...

The Team: hmmm, where to start...Let's see, I have last year's starting point guard, whose nickname is "Spyder", and that's scary in itself, as I have never in all my years of playing and coaching, not once did I ever have a Spyder as a "lead guard" on my teams...He is a cross between Brent Barry (arms and legs only) and a future Bakery Chef, specializing in Turnovers...He speaks a little English and I think he understands a whole lot more now since I've arrived, as he is beginning to slow down and "see" the floor better...I hope so for his team's sake...I have a Beatle ("I love John Lennon, Coach"), that's his English nickname, and a HipHop (his nickname) as my backup guards, but rapidly moving ahead of Spyder as I type...The size of the latter two are 6'2" Beatle, and 5'8" Hip Hop...They both really are quick and LISTEN to what I am saying and teaching about Guard Play...Between those 3 players, I feel real confident about our Pressure Defenses in the backcourt...My frontline has a Cannon (his nickname) , a Handsome Tiger (true, but I just call him Tiger), Cash Money ('cause he's money with his shot), a Wang Bo (wong bow, his natural name), YoYo, my 6'7" assistant coach and of course Pancake, my bench translator, all of 5'5" height...I already nicknamed him "Shortstack"...The other players, 6, have nicknames but not English because they don't play much acording to the players...yet...I am excited about our roster, coupled with DuJuan Tate, 6'4" American, and 7' Steve Castleberry, former Sixers veterans camp '06 player...We will run so much, Immodium will be taken on game days...The training regimen they undergo now by the strength and conditioning coach is really professional and efficient in application...I'm really impressed with the structure and discipline...The players ALL work very hard and WANT to learn...The most challenging part of my job will be breaking bad habits: dribbling with their heads down...not passing the ball ahead (I have a ball that I took some air out of...solved that quickly)...and patience with their decision making...They LOOK and then react, they will learn the difference between LOOKING and READING...right now their "reactions" are leading into turnovers on offense...Our Defensive lessons each day so far begin with learning HOW to SPELL Defense in English, so they understand how important that aspect of my philosophy is for our team's success this season...

Transition: I am really blessed to have a friend of the United States Basketball Academy, Joe Kwan, helping me at this time...He is a resident of Beijing, and helps out at the USBA in Oregon each year for several weeks during the winter months...He has been my principle translator and without him, I'd be like swan with no feathers on a cold lake...The jet lag never really hit me, as I was so excited to get on the floor and get to work...Those of you who "know" me, know that that is where I am the most happiest: on the floor teaching and watching skills develop...The challenge here for me will NOT be the games, rather the basketball culture of how THEY do things, in preparation for contests, habits, both on court and off, and more importantly the understanding of having a teacher of the game in their midst...So far so good...but...it is THIER league, their country, their way, their beliefs, their understandings or not, and of course their trust of me OR not...hopefully we're building on that...I believe so, as the players come up to me individually and greet me...The first two days, not so...so I guess I am making progress slowly...My humor is still intact on the floor...Instead of saying :"That pass was like a duck on opening day...I say that "Pass is like a Peking Duck that fell to floor from oven..." My translators look at me, shake their head and start laughing out loud before they translate...I seem to stop practice for a half minute so the translators can gather themselves over my sayings...

Upcoming Games and Travel: September 20th and 21st we have "friendly" exhibition games outside the city a couple of hours each way...so we'll see how we travel on back to back games...Then, we go to Russia for 8 days...yes, 8 days, for a tournament, an international one at that, with several teams from other Euro countries, etc...That should be interesting...we're small by Euro and Russian standards, which I don't understand since they have a couple of hundred Post players in China training between the ages of 16-25...Told my GM to see if we can "borrow" a couple for this season...Our tallest player is the 7' American, then we drop down to 6'8"...yikes...

Postscript: I apologize for being so late with this initial blog after arriving, so hopefully I can begin sharing with all who care to hear about ol coach tom in China...Take care, drive safely and the next time you do Chinese, ask for "Burn to Egg Plant", I guarantee you'll love it!!! Coach tom

Okay, maybe not just yet am I in Changchun City, Jilin Province or Northeast China...I am really excited to be able to share with the FamilySportsLifeToday.com network about my upcoming experiences abroad...This would not be possible had it not been for my esteemed partner and friend Jay Arnold...What an amazing individual he is to FSLT and me personally...He is responsible for setting me up with a laptop computer with all the necessary ingredients to function properly on a daily basis while I'm online and reaching out to the world on my coaching experiences in China...

So, here is what I envision good people: y'all will have the opportunity to connect with Coach tom during your upcoming tryouts and season and ask me questions and suggestions in preparation so each of you can be prepared to give your Best Effort each day and know that you did indeed "leave it on the floor" when it's all said and done...For your parents: PLEASE allow the kids breathing room during tryouts and practices leading up to competitions this season...your greatest support is not in the number of questions you ask, rather it's in the consistency of your positive reinforcement towards their Best Effort and complimenting this always, win or lose...Trust me, when you praise effort in youth sports it's always remembered more than the points that were or not scored in game...Think about it: remember when you were a soccer player and played for 3 years or more and never scored a goal, but you could always remember the coaches and parents who always gave you praise for your effort after every game...If this is too difficult to do in basketball, may I suggest that you try it ONCE, that's all, and then ask your son or daughter what they thought of your reaction or praises...Just a thought that I hope is for naught...

Remember: your best practice and game is ALWAYS your next practice and game...Why? Because YOU have control over your Best Effort, and in there lies the true secret of becoming the best Team Player: your Best Effort!!!